Mothers Little Helper - any recommendations for drugs?

[Dleg]

Geez, after reading that, I wondering if I can blame my problems on ADD, too!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The kind with the shells? That would be hilarious. I'd just throw the shells on the floor, and then promise the proctors I would clean up after I was finished.

That would have been funny!

No, they were Planter's dry roasted peanuts out of the bottle. I figured that's be a quiet, protein laden snack.

And re ADD: That's th reason they have so many diagnosises now adays. it pretty much covers any slightly undesirable behavior.

 

[Casey]

Well, I tried a Red Bull today a lunch and to be honest I don't feel any livelier... I'll stick with a coffee type beverage for the exam...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Every so often the Red Bull people swing through our office and give us each a can of the stuff. I can't say that I've gotten any energy increase from it. The taste isn't much better than Gatorade, either.

 

[Vishal]

i had 2 bottles of gatorade, a banana, snack bars, milk (got from the hotsl i stayed in). i consumed one bar each in the AM and PM and had gatorade. took 2 breaks, one each in AM and PM. like JR mentioned, i did not hurt myself by taking those breaks, it was a small walk, like a stretch break during work hours and taking mind off the test just for a minute. helped me refresh and attack again.

 

[dkent]

I'm a big time coffee drinker and I had the same concerns when I took the PE. About a week before the test I bought some No Doz pills and took the prescribed amount early in the morning to see what the effects would be. Then I proceeded to work some problems throughout the morning as if I was in the test. The prescribed amount made me really jittery so the next day I cut the pill in half and tried that. That did the trick. ...did the same thing on test day and I was awake, not jittery, and I didn't ever have to waist time going to the bathroom. Also, don't drink anything at breakfast or lunch.

D

 

[TXengrChickPE]

I am a bona-fide caffeine addict. I've cut back significantly since I got pregnant, but I still consume more caffeine (usually in the form of Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke) than most non-pregnant people do. At the time of my exam, I could not go more than 2.5hrs without getting withdrawal symptoms. So, I brought caffeinated beverages with me, because I knew that I'd never finish the exam without them. But, if you are not used to large amounts of caffeine, too much will cause more problems than not.

I don't see taking a bathroom break as a problem. Four hours is a long time to sit in the same chair staring at the same test booklet. I think most people would agree that sometimes, just getting up and walking around can increase your ability to focus.

 

[snickerd3]

I don't see taking a bathroom break as a problem. Four hours is a long time to sit in the same chair staring at the same test booklet. I think most people would agree that sometimes, just getting up and walking around can increase your ability to focus.

I'm an oddball then, When I get into the zone/groove (whatever you want to call it), I get annoyed/antsy when I stop even for a break cuz I know once I stop it is usually harder for me to start back up again. I just want to get it done.

 

[NCcarguy]

Well, I tried a Red Bull today a lunch and to be honest I don't feel any livelier... I'll stick with a coffee type beverage for the exam...

Don't drink Red-Bull!!!! IT'll pick you up from the sugars then you'll crash.....I like the 2 oz "5 Hour Energy" drinks. You can find them at ANY convenient store usually by the register....they're much better for this type setting....I did one before the exam and one at lunch. I felt energized and sharp all the way through the exam......and passed!

 

[DVINNY]

All this talk about PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS, but let a baseball player take one little...........

.............. ah, nevermind.

 

[k2keylargo]

Just browsing instead of studying - I did find that during the test, I was running very well on adrenaline, I drank some water, ate some dried fruit and nuts, took a pottie break once in am and one in pm and I was great. Passed too.

 

[kschwa]

Any tips for maintaining alertness for 2 x 4hrs.? I'm starting to freak out about trying to remember everything, and now I'm thinking about how to keep my brain focused. Lots of caffeine = lots of bathroom breaks? What did everyone do - any recommendations to make it 8 hrs.? :winko:

Really, work on getting a decent nights sleep most of the week before the exam. A good nights sleep the night before would be great, but don't expect it, so try and go into the day before as well rested as possible. By the time you reach the week before, being rested and relaxed is probably as important as anything. You should have the bulk of your studying done by then, and quite frankly you brain will feel a little like mush anyways, so it's a good time to relax.

As far as energy drinks/pills/etc..........don't do anything you normally don't do. The exam is nerve racking enough, you don't want chemically induced shakes added on top of that. Unless you just have gotten horrible sleep for several days leading up to the test, your normal routine should suffice, be it coffee or energy drinks or whatever you normally do. Your adrenaline and the fast paced demands of the test along with the ticking clock should keep you as alert as anything. I know sitting for four hours sounds like a long time and it is when you are studying, but come test time, you will be shocked at how quick the half hours seem to tick by............you will actually wish they weren't running by so fast.

 

[sehad]

I was shocked at how fast the time went by and that I really didn't drag until after the test.

Definitely stay away from energy drinks!! You'll crash about half way through. Don't eat anything heavy for lunch. I would say a sandwich or something and stop eating RIGHT when you feel full. Getting a sluggish start after lunch can kill you in the afternoon.

 

[Trashman]

The 8 hour exam is a marathon. I would suggest taking something with you (food, drinks, caffeine) and then deciding during the test if you want to use them. I had trouble staying focused during the second half of the afternoon section. Blue Monster drink helped me (4th time!).

 

[Sschell]

don't do anything you normally don't do.

I think this is key.

If you are not used to sitting in a room for 8 hours straight, besure to take a couple practice tests under as realistic conditions as you can get... I would follow your typical daily food/caffiene intake as close as possible.

edit: I guess this also means if you have a wicked caffiene/adderall/meth habit... by all means, stick to your routine... you don't want to be going through withdrawls during the test!

 

[Dexman1349]

I brought a couple Clif Bars with me to snack on during the exam. I also brought two Nalgene bottles (1 with orange juice, 1 with water). The natural sugars in the orange juice kept my energy levels up without the crash that typically accompanies the energy drinks.

I had a relatively lite lunch as well. Most grocery stores have pre-made cold sandwiches in the deli and if you add a soda and some fruit, you're good to go. My friend and I after finishing our lunch, we walked a quick lap around the building to help cut down on the post-lunch drag as well.

I agree with some of the above posts in that the time really does go by relatively quickly and most of us once we're in the test taking mode can stay sharp for a surprisingly long time. IMO there is plenty of time to hit the head once or twice in each session, so I would worry more about staying hydrated than trying to save 5 minutes to piss.

One other thing that really helped keep energy levels high was to take a vacation day or two immediately before the exam (wed & thurs). I didn't even look at my books on Thursday aside from pre-loading them into the car Thursday night.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

edit: I guess this also means if you have a wicked caffiene/aderol/meth habit... by all means, stick to your routine... you don't want to be going through withdrawls during the test!

That may be why I did so well on the FE. I drank excessively in the weeks leading up to the exam (my last semester in college), then I got really drunk at halftime of the exam. Somehow, I ended up passing.

 

[chaosiscash]

^^ Alcohol does make you smarter, as it kills off the weaker, slower brain cells.

 

[squishles10]

Ha- I was reading above ^^^ not to eat a heavy lunch. Then thinking, what did I eat? Oh yeah, we hit up the Mexican place. Looking back, that was dumb. No Fudgey moments though- all was well, but good grief! Obviously the mind was elsewhere!

 

[GT ME]

LOL

I had a quart of Red Bull to sip on during the ordeal to keep me going ...lol