What to bring to the MCAT

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-valid ID
-house keys/car keys/bus fare/etc.
-yourself with clothes

Anything else that's necessary?
If I bring water, is it easily accessible during the breaks? Do they put it in a locker or something?
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GST said:
-valid ID
-house keys/car keys/bus fare/etc.
-yourself with clothes

Anything else that's necessary?
If I bring water, is it easily accessible during the breaks? Do they put it in a locker or something?
Click to expand...

All you need is a valid ID, and snacks if you wish. All food/drinks/all your stuff go in a locker. At my test center, they made me carry my locker key and ID into the test room (and nothing else). You can access food in your locker during the breaks. Do NOT use your cell phone/look at notes during breaks.
 
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Can I bring my TPR PS book to look at? I know we can't do it during breaks but on the ride there I was gonna glance at a few things.

Also, are we allowed to wear/bring earplugs?
 
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drosefan said:
Can I bring my TPR PS book to look at? I know we can't do it during breaks but on the ride there I was gonna glance at a few things.

Also, are we allowed to wear/bring earplugs?
Click to expand...

Is this a serious question?
 
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You can bring the book inside. I actually reviewed a few notes I had in my car before I went in to take the test since I had some extra time. If that sort of thing doesn't stress you out then I think it's a good idea.
 
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i suggest bringing a water bottle, a bottle of something that has caffeine in it, and a bag of something that if you have a couple bits of it during breaks you will be held over and not get mid morning hungry pains at 11am.

i brought a huuuge water bottle, an odwalla bar, a bag of combos, and a diet dr pepper.

just enough time in the breaks to go to the restroom and have a couple bites of food...washing it all down with water before you go back into the room
 
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curbye said:
i suggest bringing a water bottle, a bottle of something that has caffeine in it, and a bag of something that if you have a couple bits of it during breaks you will be held over and not get mid morning hungry pains at 11am.

i brought a huuuge water bottle, an odwalla bar, a bag of combos, and a diet dr pepper.

just enough time in the breaks to go to the restroom and have a couple bites of food...washing it all down with water before you go back into the room
Click to expand...
Be carefull with the caffiene, it does promote anxiety. I would also possibly opt for a healthier snack, like maybe an apple or some blueberry's
 
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If you're comfortable with caffeine and you know how your body reacts to it then it will be fine. Caffeine is your friend when you're used to training with it.
 
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Dr Yiot said:
Be carefull with the caffiene, it does promote anxiety. I would also possibly opt for a healthier snack, like maybe an apple or some blueberry's
Click to expand...


haha idk about you but some blueberries don't exactly fill me up...if you get hungry every so often bring something that has a bit of fat in it (like most bagged snacks do)...you'll be set.

whatever you bring, though, is not as important as remembering to wear pants! (esp cuz its COLD)
 
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curbye said:
haha idk about you but some blueberries don't exactly fill me up...if you get hungry every so often bring something that has a bit of fat in it (like most bagged snacks do)...you'll be set.

whatever you bring, though, is not as important as remembering to wear pants! (esp cuz its COLD)
Click to expand...
true I didnt think of that. you could just do what I do and bring a meal with you. thats what I plan on doing, maybe a light sandwhich on whole wheat lol. what your saying makes sense though.
 
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Hey guys I forget if I take in a jacket into the testing center, can I take it off during the test? Any other wacky rules I forgot?
 
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if you take your jacket off, you have to leave the room to put it in your locker and time doesn't stop! I am going to be wearing a zip up jacket haha
 
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Dr Yiot said:
Be carefull with the caffiene, it does promote anxiety. I would also possibly opt for a healthier snack, like maybe an apple or some blueberry's
Click to expand...

I agree on the coffee, it makes me too "slightly hyper," "alert" and "anxious" at the same time. The only thing I want from caffeine is to be alert, and not the other two as I think it tends to stymie my reasoning ability.

A little caffeine in the morning won't hurt though, green or white tea is EXCELLENT for this reason because compared to a cup (8 ounces or so) of coffee, there is only maybe 6-25 mg for white tea and 15-30 mg of green tea VERSUS 80-176 mg of caffeine in coffee (source: http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm)

The problem with coffee, is that it gives you too much all at once, especially if you have a low tolerance for it which is not good.

Besides, green/white tea has that clean taste to it, has tons of antioxidants (squirt some lemon juice into it to stabilize the EDTA antioxidants in it!), and has the amino acid l-theanine in it which is a mind relaxant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theanine#Effects_on_the_brain)

Also, a good place to get excellent loose-lea tea (it's better to brew in a pot when it's not in a bag as there's more surface area), is from www.adagio.com. Try their white/green teas, prices are the lowest I have seen (better than retail and amazon), and their selection is excellent. Then just put the drink in your water bottle (add lemon juice so the tannin basic taste is balanced out which can get bad if you let it stand) and sip throughout the day (obviously you'd need to brew more than 8 ounces probably 20 ounces-32 ounces if you want to have a steady low flow of caffeine throughout the day).

Word of wisdom by an Asian man who drinks tea.

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Also, don't buy the sugary gop **** that are in stores, they're not that good, don't have that much green/white tea as they do corn syrups in them.
 
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Caffeine is definitely a personal thing. If I consume a lot in a short amount of time or on an empty stomach, I get jittery. Otherwise it definitely helps to get my mind moving and thinking a little more clearly.

If you don't normally drink coffee or tea, though, I wouldn't recommend starting on test day.
 
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