Test Day Life-Hacks? Forum

[billables247]

Can anybody share any Test Day/Final Weeks routines that they felt really helped them gain an edge on the exam?

Since we're coming up onto the last leg of the October LSAT prep, I'm getting increasingly anxious; this will be my third retake and definitely my final chance to score well, so I want every possible advantage to get those final few points to get me into the mid to high 170s.

A few things I'm thinking of doing:
* Getting a hotel room that is a 5 minute walk from the test center
* Scouting out the location and doing a prep test there the weekend before
* Syncing my sleep cycle so I can get 8 hours (from 10-6) before my 8AM exam well ahead of time
* Coffee, shower, stretching, and music to get into the zone
* Do half a LR, half a RC, and a full LG section before the exam
* Eat healthy and exercise 3 times a week in the weeks prior to the exam
* Drilling 6 section PTs under strict timing (currently doing 4 sections at a time, will ramp up to 5 this weekend)

Anything else anybody has had success with?

[crestor]

I'm really thinking about doing the hotel one too. That just seems epic.

[iditarod]

Of these, syncing your sleep cycle is the best. I think that warm up is way too much, though. Getting good sleep that week is also important in case you're antsy the night before

[SteelPenguin]

I'm really thinking about doing the hotel one too. That just seems epic.

I almost did this until I switched to a test center I was more familiar with. I wouldn't want to drive much more than half an hour to the test. It's not that I think the drive would be bad, I would just be concerned with waking up early enough, leaving early enough, and accounting for traffic.

[Kimikho]

I'm cutting out anything that is overly associated with food poisoning the three days before.

Also, for the truly crazy: I have a friend who goes to school on the east coast. She flew home three days before the LSAT and took the test on the west coast so that her parents could drive her and so she wouldn't have to adjust her sleep schedule. She had already taken a test at her test center before so that wasn't a problem.

[wtrc]

I did the hotel thing before last LSAT, I have a friend who works for the Marriott so was able to get a really cheap but nice room near the test center. Didnt go as well as I had hoped in terms of being able to sleep, and I still had to drive to the test center (8 min drive instead of otherwise 30). This time I'm staying home where I'm more comfortable.

Also, cutting out anything that has a remote chance of giving food poisoning is credited. And I'll probably be super cautious and take AirBorne the few days before. Not that a regular cold would be too detrimental to a score, but just in case.

[Nonconsecutive]

Hmm, I hadn't even considered avoiding food that might be more likely to carry baddies.

The paranoia deepens.

[Kimikho]

My friend just told me that she started retaking birth control a week before the SAT to prevent her period from starting. I remember thinking that was pretty extreme, but now I'm like...she might have been on to something...

[warandpeace]

so..you're planning on only exercising 3 times a week? lol

you should seriously consider healthy eating + exercise as part of an every day routine.

[Otunga]

^^^

Though, one shouldn't also jump into a routine they're not used to before the test. Imagine getting started doing Insanity....

[JamMasterJ]

don't warm up too much. there's psychological evidence that your brain can only handle making a certain number of decisions per day (or something). Just do like 1 game OR 1 RC + 2-3 LR questions.

[Otunga]

don't warm up too much. there's psychological evidence that your brain can only handle making a certain number of decisions per day (or something). Just do like 1 game OR 1 RC + 2-3 LR questions.

The credited response is to warm up with mauve dinosaurs, riddled basins, and the 10 LR questions that have given you more trouble than any others.

...Nobody should do that.

[crestor]

My friend just told me that she started retaking birth control a week before the SAT to prevent her period from starting. I remember thinking that was pretty extreme, but now I'm like...she might have been on to something...

:puke:

[ScottRiqui]

I'm really thinking about doing the hotel one too. That just seems epic.

I did it, but only because the nearest test center to me for June was 2 hours away. But getting the hotel the night before, combined with the later start time made for a pretty pleasant experience - wake up, go to IHOP for a late breakfast, then a leisurely trip to the test center.

[drevo]

I'm really thinking about doing the hotel one too. That just seems epic.

I did it, but only because the nearest test center to me for June was 2 hours away. But getting the hotel the night before, combined with the later start time made for a pretty pleasant experience - wake up, go to IHOP for a late breakfast, then a leisurely trip to the test center.

Man I feel for all of you who are far from the testing center. My testing center is a 5 minute walk from my front door in a building and classroom where the majority of my major courses are held. Guess I got lucky.

[ScottRiqui]

I'm really thinking about doing the hotel one too. That just seems epic.

I did it, but only because the nearest test center to me for June was 2 hours away. But getting the hotel the night before, combined with the later start time made for a pretty pleasant experience - wake up, go to IHOP for a late breakfast, then a leisurely trip to the test center.

Man I feel for all of you who are far from the testing center. My testing center is a 5 minute walk from my front door in a building and classroom where the majority of my major courses are held. Guess I got lucky.

For me, the long drive was because I took the June LSAT, and there are a LOT fewer centers available in June. For October, my nearest test center is about 15-20 minutes from home, about the same as my morning commute to work.

[tigersaresexy]

My friend just told me that she started retaking birth control a week before the SAT to prevent her period from starting. I remember thinking that was pretty extreme, but now I'm like...she might have been on to something...

:puke:

Are you a lady? Why is that gross?

I'm doing the exact same thing basically, except I'm starting 4 weeks before to avoid surprises. I'm also skipping placebo pills this month obviously. I recommend it to everyone who's no BC regularly or semi-regularly

There's nothing worse than period cramps during a test, worrying about your tampon or the general icky feeling that comes from sitting in once place for too long during your period.

[Otunga]

I think getting better sleep is the most important. The other stuff is dependent on a lot of variables, but getting up early seems to help most everyone. I feel much, much less of a need for coffee, if any, when I'm up at 8:30 or earlier as opposed to something like 10 or 11 (the range where I got up all summer without a job). I'm fairly certain now that I don't even want coffee before the test. If anything, it'll just make me want to piss and/or crap during the test, and any difference in PT performance is negligible.

[Kimikho]

My friend just told me that she started retaking birth control a week before the SAT to prevent her period from starting. I remember thinking that was pretty extreme, but now I'm like...she might have been on to something...

:puke:

Are you a lady? Why is that gross?

I'm doing the exact same thing basically, except I'm starting 4 weeks before to avoid surprises. I'm also skipping placebo pills this month obviously. I recommend it to everyone who's no BC regularly or semi-regularly

There's nothing worse than period cramps during a test, worrying about your tampon or the general icky feeling that comes from sitting in once place for too long during your period.

Yeah, I'm torn between wearing a pad the whole time just for backup or taking a week of BC. FYI though, whenever used to skip the placebo more than once I would spot for the last week of the second pack. It's not horrible but it's something to remember :\.

[neprep]

My friend just told me that she started retaking birth control a week before the SAT to prevent her period from starting. I remember thinking that was pretty extreme, but now I'm like...she might have been on to something...

:puke:

Are you a lady? Why is that gross?

I'm doing the exact same thing basically, except I'm starting 4 weeks before to avoid surprises. I'm also skipping placebo pills this month obviously. I recommend it to everyone who's no BC regularly or semi-regularly

There's nothing worse than period cramps during a test, worrying about your tampon or the general icky feeling that comes from sitting in once place for too long during your period.

Yeah, I'm torn between wearing a pad the whole time just for backup or taking a week of BC. FYI though, whenever used to skip the placebo more than once I would spot for the last week of the second pack. It's not horrible but it's something to remember :\.

So many things I didn't even know were problems...

[tigersaresexy]

My friend just told me that she started retaking birth control a week before the SAT to prevent her period from starting. I remember thinking that was pretty extreme, but now I'm like...she might have been on to something...

:puke:

Are you a lady? Why is that gross?

I'm doing the exact same thing basically, except I'm starting 4 weeks before to avoid surprises. I'm also skipping placebo pills this month obviously. I recommend it to everyone who's no BC regularly or semi-regularly

There's nothing worse than period cramps during a test, worrying about your tampon or the general icky feeling that comes from sitting in once place for too long during your period.

Yeah, I'm torn between wearing a pad the whole time just for backup or taking a week of BC. FYI though, whenever used to skip the placebo more than once I would spot for the last week of the second pack. It's not horrible but it's something to remember :\.

Ahh good to know. I have skipped the placebo week a bunch of times over the last few years with no issue but I've been off for a few months so I gotta be extra precautious.
If you're scheduled on test day idk if a week of BC will work (it's never worked on that short notice for me but my uterus is hostile), but I know there's a drug out there called Primolut in the UK, you can usually get a doctor to prescribe it to you without much persuasion, it delays your period pretty reliably for a week or so. Tons of people I know get it for beach vacations and anniversary weekends..stuff like that.
I don't have fun or sex because I'm studying for the LSAT , but it can still come in handy.

[tigersaresexy]

So many things I didn't even know were problems...

I'm jealous of you lucky men and your man-penises.

[mandyjay11]

don't warm up too much. there's psychological evidence that your brain can only handle making a certain number of decisions per day (or something). Just do like 1 game OR 1 RC + 2-3 LR questions.

The credited response is to warm up with mauve dinosaurs, riddled basins, and the 10 LR questions that have given you more trouble than any others.

...Nobody should do that.

LOL amazing

[Kimikho]

Ahh good to know. I have skipped the placebo week a bunch of times over the last few years with no issue but I've been off for a few months so I gotta be extra precautious.
If you're scheduled on test day idk if a week of BC will work (it's never worked on that short notice for me but my uterus is hostile), but I know there's a drug out there called Primolut in the UK, you can usually get a doctor to prescribe it to you without much persuasion, it delays your period pretty reliably for a week or so. Tons of people I know get it for beach vacations and anniversary weekends..stuff like that.
I don't have fun or sex because I'm studying for the LSAT , but it can still come in handy.

I stopped taking anything this summer after joining the Forever Alone club, so the bigger problem for me is I don't know when I'm scheduled at all . I'll look into the Primolut though!

So many things I didn't even know were problems...

I'm jealous of you lucky men and your man-penises.

+++1

[crestor]

the one thing i am nervous about getting a hotel room is my test location is in a dump of a city. i don't need to hear a pimp handling his workers in the adjacent room in the middle of the night. or a client getting pleasured by an escort in the adjacent room while i struggle to sleep. i am a very light sleeper so this might make me stay home and drive fucking 45 minutes and wake up at 6-6:10..