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Mental Exhaustion

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:03 pm
by crispy13
I'm scheduled to take the October exam, and have just started to take full length tests under timed test conditions. I've been getting -0 to -2 wrong for each section up until the last half of the 4th section, when my mind just gets too tired, I can't concentrate, and I wind up getting the last 10 questions wrong. I'm planning to take 3 tests a week until test day. Do you think my endurance will increase with practice? Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions?

Re: Mental Exhaustion

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:38 pm
by CurbYourEnthusiasm
crispy13 wrote:I'm scheduled to take the October exam, and have just started to take full length tests under timed test conditions. I've been getting -0 to -2 wrong for each section up until the last half of the 4th section, when my mind just gets too tired, I can't concentrate, and I wind up getting the last 10 questions wrong. I'm planning to take 3 tests a week until test day. Do you think my endurance will increase with practice? Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions?
See I feel like I'm the opposite. I'll start slow and then get into a rhythm and will progressively get better as the test goes on. Whenever my brain feels fried, I always eat something sugary and it kind of boosts how quickly I work and analyze things. My suggestion would maybe be after the first 3 sections (that 10-15 min break we get during the actual test) bring some gnarly candy or some type of food that will help you out. Otherwise, idk, just keep practicing. I'm sure you will get into a rhythm eventually and it will become second nature.

Just thought of this, why not mentally prepare yourself more. I know when I take a test I'll give myself a mental peptalk, like "Lets go! You need this to get into a decent law school, or your gonna make nothing out of yourself ever!". To some people that stresses them out and only gives them more anxiety, but I love that kind of crap and thrive on it. Just a thought.

Re: Mental Exhaustion

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:06 pm
by Hedwig
Do 14 chapters of Wheelock in 5 hours and then speak about mental exhaustion :O.

I think you just have to keep doing a lot over and over. Get enough sleep, exercise, and eat healthy as well - those all help boost your concentration and mental capacities.

Re: Mental Exhaustion

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:20 pm
by crispy13
Wheelock as in Latin grammar? Man, that takes me back to bad times. :(

Thanks for the suggestions. I guess I'll just plug away at these and remember to eat some snacks and refresh my mind during the break (probably going to skip the pep talk, cause that'll just freak me out more). It's just so frustrating to review that last section! Argh.

Re: Mental Exhaustion

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:05 pm
by Sandro
Lets take a look at my last 3 tests in which LR was the last section

test 1 - first LR = 1 - Last LR = -8
Test 2 first LR = -2 last LR = -5
test 3 first LR -3 last lr -6

hmmm