Hey guys... I just wanted to pop in and get some things off my chest for a little bit...hopefully someone can get through to me to just chill out... Background: I am currently studying for my Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and have really been stressing out lately..i know some of you are thinking well obviously, but the test is less than 2 weeks away (Jan 30) and i cannot quit obsessing about it..i mean really obsessing, laying in bed till 4 am just thinking about whether or not im gonna succeed.. i have worked really hard and have made many sacrifices to get me to this point. I am 24 yrs old and have the 2 best parents in the world for still helping through this difficult time, im currently not working and am studying between 40-50 hours per week for this test, and the point is that i know i am as ready as i am gonna get for the test, but i still cant simply let it be....i always think i have to force things...but a lot hinges on this test, the rest of my application to medical school is practically bulletproof, i just really need this score to be good... I guess my reaching out hinges on how everyone copes with things that are just really important to you and get you passionate about your life. When so much is on the line i turn obsessive to the point of being unhealthy...i think it turns negative and affects my performance at some point and am certainly not wanting to do that, but right now my main concern is just ME, as in being ok if this doesnt work out and literally not having a giant Bum F****** meltdown....any thoughts for me guys???
I have seen this before to a point. My brother went through the samething you did and now he is a brain surgeon. He actually was very quit while studying, would hang out, like go out to eat dinner and study for alittle while at night. During the day his head was in the books up until the test. I will say he was pretty calm while studying and did very well on them. I guess what I am trying to say is maybe take a little break go out a few times and just study at night just to refresh. This is what he did and everything came out fine. This was also his goal since he was able to talk, he wanted to be a doctor and it worked out. Just relax alittle by going out with some friends and just refresh here and there till the big day.
Then if you know that your as ready as your going to get you need to go out and have some fun and refresh either at night or in the morning.I have a simular problem as you.I let things stress me out 2 the point where i become ill and have like a serious flu symtoms but the doctors cant figure out whats wrong with me.But with in a week i go back to normal and im fine untill i stress out again.You have to realize that your ready, but dont get cocky and not not refresh on the material.I realize this is a big deal but remember everything happens for a reason.So let things happen.The more calm you are the better off you will be when you study and take your test.
You really just have to relax Jordan, first of all. I'm sure you've done all the studying you can and obsessing about it to the extreme really won't help your cause. You have to relieve the stress you're putting on your brain and your body. Just study two to three hours at a time and take 30 minute breaks or even an hour or so. Make sure you get your full eight hours of sleep, have a really strong breakfast, medium lunch, and light dinner, to keep healthy. Take care of yourself first and your brain and body will take care of you... just believe.
I agree with Asphalt Rocket. I think the the first thing you have to do is get rid of the "what if mentality". You said you are as prepared as you can be. Having plan B means you're not sure if you are prepared. You will succeed. Last year, my investment guy lost over $500k of my money and my in laws screwed me out of a further $140k on a property deal. My wife was so down about the situation. We had planned on retiring early. I told my wife that we will still retire in 9 years because there is no one big enough or rich enough to stop me. Keep your thoughts focussed forward. You've already prepared as much as you can for this test. You should be focused on things farther down the road now. Where will you practice, where will you and your trophy wife build your dream house etc. As soon as you stop thinking about any negative results and start only thinking positive , you won't believe how much stress is gone. Post your marks after your test. I'm guessing you score over 90%.
If you know in your heart that you've done all you can... then you just need to put it in God's hands and have faith in Him and yourself. Like the other guys have said, take a break... refresh yourself once or twice a day for maybe an hour. Other then that go out and do something that doesn't involve thought. Go do some more detailing!!! Bro you have my number if you ever need to talk
You're 24. Go out with a few buddies and have a few drinks and some food. Not enough to get drunk, just enough to 'feel good', when you reach that point, go home, watch a movie or something to help you falls asleep. In the morning, go exercise. go running, take the dog for a walk talk to a few ladies while you're at it. Build a model car/boat/plane of do whatever hobby you enjoy doing in your spare time aside from detailing lol. Sometimes its good to get a few distractions to get your head in the clouds. then once you are calm and relaxed, hit the book(s) and take a refresher.
From my time so far in college I've realized that I can only tap into 60% of my potential on quizes and tests, as well as homework if I am stressed out. Beyond being more relaxed, which is also very important, I feel the perception of the obstacle is the most important thing. Most people will overcomplicate and put an obstacle up on an unobtainable pedestal, which is a bad way of perceiving such a goal. Don't think of your studying as hopeless or invaluable to your goal, but think of it in more of a condescending way. As many things in life, you need to approach such a situation with confidence. Open the books, realize that you are better/more intelligent than the information inside of them. Your objectives shouldn't be viewed as a pinnacle, but a means of gathering "tools" to help embetter yourself. On key with your stressed out demeanor, the most important thing you can do is manage your time properly. To first manage your time properly, you'll have to get rid of the procrastination habits, provided you have them. Many people (which includes myself) procrastinate because they are afraid to fail something. They feel that if they allow themselves enough time and effort to get 100%, and they fall short of it, they view themselves as less than par. This is obviously not the case. You must overcome the anxiety of fear. With management, confidence, and relaxation, things should smoothly sail into place. You are not your goals, they work for you. Never assume anyone or anything is higher than yourself. Be honest with yourself and others, and you'll find arbitrary situations and problems will slowly go away. I hope my insight helps. View this as an experience of another and not of one who has completely mastered the art of studying and achievement. We are all a work in progress. Good luck.:thumb:
I second Grey Ghost's suggestions. You need to find something--exercise, a hike in the woods, a romantic getaway, a full-day detailing job, a weekend retreat at a monastery, whatever--that will get your mind off of your exams. You have worked hard and you are prepared. Now relax, which is of course so much easier to say than to do.
deep inside, you know that by heart that you can do this. don't let the time stress you. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
Whether it is an interview, testifying in court (which I do), taking a test or in the future treating patients, the ability to trust yourself and trust that you know what you are doing is something you need to wrap your hands around. When I started in my job every time I went to testify I was completely psyching myself out. What if the defense asks this, what if I draw a blank, what if, what if . . . I would not sleep and had the jitters because of it. It was all I could do to not puke after I got off the stand. Fortunately one of the senior investigators I worked with took me aside one day and told me that you only know what you know, however you will know more than 99% of the people around you when you prepare. If you beat your brain up prepping until the last minute you will not be able to get that knowledge back out. And stressing just wraps a blanket around the knowledge you know is there and smothers it. Just like an Olympic athlete you need to taper your training to peak at the right time.
I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all who have responded..im taking the words in and am starting to get to where i am at peace with it all...once again you guys dont know how much you have helped me...i will be sure to let you know how i do in the friggin 30 days i have to wait for the results
Listen to Awaken the giant Within By tony Little, if think is the name, get the audio copy, it'll help build your confidence
While I can't offer any advice because I have no experience in a situation like that I would still like to wish you the best of luck. If anything, in my opinion, confidence and determination can help you achieve great things!
