Test Day Rituals
Do
you have any test day rituals? Is there
something specific that you like to do the morning of a test? Here are some examples of things that my
classmates do before every law school exam: listen to the same few songs on
repeat right before the test to get mentally prepared; eat the same thing on
the day of each exam to prevent queasiness and nervousness; sit in the same
place as they did during the semester; dress up for the test, “dress well, test
well”; wear the same t-shirt or outfit “for luck.”
There
are lots of things that you can establish as a routine to get yourself mentally
ready for taking a law school exam. I
recommend several things to do as a routine or ritual during the exam period;
get plenty of rest; eat balanced meals; don’t overdose on caffeine; and make
sure to be on time for the exams.
Sleep
is very important, studies have shown that a lack of sleep (especially a
cumulative one) is equivalent to operating while intoxicated. Make sure that you set yourself up for a good
night’s rest the night before an exam.
Balanced
nutrition will help you to be able to concentrate for the exam. Eating a balanced meal with protein and
vegetables will help you to stay alert and attentive during the exam
period. Loading up on sugar the morning
of the exam will get you a quick blood sugar crash, likely half way through the
exam.
Caffeine
in moderation will be very helpful to you during the exam. Depending on your regular intake of caffeine,
one cup of coffee, tea, or a soda will keep you more than awake during the
exam. Don’t overload on energy drinks,
they are likely to make you more jittery and nervous than you already might be.
Make
sure that you set more than one alarm for the day of the test. Being late for an exam will create
unnecessary stress on you and may be extremely detrimental to your grade. I doubt professors are sympathetic to excuses
for being late to an exam, especially if the excuse is not a catastrophic
event.
At
the end of the day, do what you think will be most helpful to prepare yourself
for the exam. If that includes wearing a
suit and tie or a tuxedo t-shirt, do it!
