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I just took a free practice test from Kaplan and maybe because it seemed so much more realistic than all the the practice tests I'd taken in a library or coffee shop I was REALLY nervous throughout the first and second section...which leads me to believe I could easily freak out during the first two sections of the actual test. After about the second section, I calmed down and was able to focus and the difference in my accuracy was huge but ultimately my score was crippled by my nerves in the first part of the test. I haven't seen a score this low since I first started studying... Does anyone have any good advice for getting over test day jitters so that it doesn't HUGELY impact that first section, short of downing a bottle of bourbon under the table before the test...?

rjh456 wrote:I just took a free practice test from Kaplan and maybe because it seemed so much more realistic than all the the practice tests I'd taken in a library or coffee shop I was REALLY nervous throughout the first and second section...which leads me to believe I could easily freak out during the first two sections of the actual test. After about the second section, I calmed down and was able to focus and the difference in my accuracy was huge but ultimately my score was crippled by my nerves in the first part of the test. I haven't seen a score this low since I first started studying... Does anyone have any good advice for getting over test day jitters so that it doesn't HUGELY impact that first section, short of downing a bottle of bourbon under the table before the test...?

Exercise...I just started exercising regularly in preparation for my retake, and, while I haven't taken it again, I think this will make a pretty good difference.

do you mean exercising before the test itself? or just factoring exercise into your life more consistently?

rjh456 wrote:do you mean exercising before the test itself? or just factoring exercise into your life more consistently?

Both, depending on the individual. I'm not going to be exercising before the test itself, because it's at 8:30 in the morning, haha. But I definitely will continue exercising up to the night before. I think it's made a pretty good difference with managing stress, and I think managing your stress can help with managing your nerves/adrenaline.

+1 to exercise. I went for a long run the day before the test to work out some nervous energy, and I think it helped a lot. You also want to stick to a regular schedule (including sleep schedule) and eat well. The goal is to make the test feel as normal/routine as possible.

Well a lot of people believe exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy, relaxed, which I would assume would reduce your stress level somewhat. I am sure going for a run before your test could only help. Just make sure you drink some gatorade or something when you are done, being dehydrated for the test probably won't help.

Knockglock wrote:

rjh456 wrote:do you mean exercising before the test itself? or just factoring exercise into your life more consistently?

Both, depending on the individual. I'm not going to be exercising before the test itself, because it's at 8:30 in the morning, haha. But I definitely will continue exercising up to the night before. I think it's made a pretty good difference with managing stress, and I think managing your stress can help with managing your nerves/adrenaline.

Really? It's funny you say that, because I stopped exercising as I started studying for October, and it's been getting increasingly harder to concentrate. Could this be more than a correlation?

3|ink wrote:

Knockglock wrote:

rjh456 wrote:do you mean exercising before the test itself? or just factoring exercise into your life more consistently?

Both, depending on the individual. I'm not going to be exercising before the test itself, because it's at 8:30 in the morning, haha. But I definitely will continue exercising up to the night before. I think it's made a pretty good difference with managing stress, and I think managing your stress can help with managing your nerves/adrenaline.

Really? It's funny you say that, because I stopped exercising as I started studying for October, and it's been getting increasingly harder to concentrate. Could this be more than a correlation?

There's quite a few recent studies out there that attribute increased mental learning to exercise. Exercise is just pure good for the body and does a lot for your mental state. Exercising, as already mentioned, releases endorphins that improve overall mood and relieve stress. This in turn, helps the brain focus better and ultimately improve cognition.

Also, for you people wondering about diets:

UCLA study wrote:To improve their diet, study participants on the plan ate five small meals a day, which prevents drops in blood glucose levels since glucose is the main energy source for the brain. In addition, they ate a balanced diet full of omega-3 fats, antioxidants and low glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains.
The finding suggests that for participants who had followed the healthy longevity program, the brain functioned more efficiently and didn't need to use as much glucose to perform effectively