You’ve spent months studying—and you’re ready. The MCAT is one week away. The anxiety is starting to brew, and you’re doing your best to ebb it. What should you do to maximize this one last week while keep the anxiety at bay?
The week before the exam
1) Practice, practice, practice—
If you’re like most students, you probably over-studied the material. Remember, the MCAT is not about what you know, it’s about how you think about what you know. So now, it’s about doing as many practice problems as you can to work on your application of the concepts you’ve learned to the new situations the MCAT might throw at you.
You should have saved your AAMC practice exams up until the end of your study period. You should aim to do two practice exams this week. If you have time go through your answers—think critically about the ones you got wrong, and try to locate your error in thinking and correct.
2) Reflect on what you’ve accomplished while you prepared for the test—
It helps to know that you put in your work. And you have! So spend some time reflecting on it—think about how far you’ve come, how much more you know, and how many hours you’ve spent at the MCAT grindstone. It should help you fend off those anxieties when they come a-creeping.
3) Do things to get your mind off the exam—
It’s hard to keep the anxiety at bay if you’re staring the exam down at the end of the week. It’s human nature. But your mind’s pretty good at getting itself off of anxiety-provoking things if you give it something else to think about! Spend time with friends and family, treat yourself to a cool experience that you wouldn’t otherwise, or do something relaxing.
4) Don’t abuse yourself—
Many students turn to reckless behavior when they get anxious. Late nights out, over-reliance on alcohol or other substances, or quarrels with a significant other aren’t going to help your cause. Be careful—don’t let your anxiety get the best of you!
The day before the exam
Think about the MCAT like game day—you wouldn’t bust yourself the day before game day, would you? So you shouldn’t cram the day before the exam, either.
We recommend doing 3-4 verbal passages in the morning, just to keep you limber and loose—but DON’T CHECK THE SCORE. WE REPEAT, DO NOT CHECK THE SCORE!
Find something fun and relaxing to do for the rest of the day. We also recommend that you get a particularly good workout in about 4-6 hours before you plan to go to bed (which should be at least 8 hours before you plan to wake up). This releases endorphins and can help you sleep better at night, as your core body temperature drops back down to normal following exercise. Also, pay attention to the food you eat—perhaps Sushi or undercooked meats may not be the best choice of food the day before your exam? We recommend a hearty diet with lots of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.
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