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kimmy
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TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Thread Started on Feb 26, 2007, 9:49pm »
1. Remain calm at all times. If possible, move away from the fruitloops who are stressing and distressing everyone else.

2. Arrive early- nothing is more stressful than worrying about being on time.

3. Remember your 2B pencils, pen, ruler, eraser, calculator (pack 2...and give one to the poor person who has forgotten theirs - the GAMSAT gods can only look favourably on that!)

4. Pack a nice morning tea and good lunch so you have something to look forward to. Include lots of low GI food for long-lasting energy. Good examples are: Chicken and salad sandwich on multigrain bread, yogurt, fruit, grainy crackers etc etc. A treat or two (I had 2 pink cupcakes) will complete it :)

5. If you cannot survive without coffee, BYO thermos, do not assume that there will be a cafe nearby

6. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES nap in the afternoon in the weeks/days leading up to the exam. It is not good for your body to expect a refreshing nap at 2 in the afternoon- because you will be doing S3.

7. Bring water in a clear bottle (label removed) and some lollies. If lollies aren't allowed, try sneaking in barley sugars and say you need them for your 'sore throat'.

8. Tissues are a must

9. If you are sensitive to noise, start studying wearing earplugs NOW, and bring them on the day.

10. If you finish a section early and are happy with your checking etc. Put your hand up and ask to go to the toilet. This means you can avoid the rush to an inadequate amount of loos in the break and can use the break for its intended purpose.

11. Maintain a positive outlook at all times- in the big scheme of things it's another silly exam. If you stuff up this time, there is always next year. The world will not end between now and then. 2nd time around, you will be more prepared than ever ;)

Good luck team :)

Kimmy
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #1 on Feb 26, 2007, 11:55pm »
In addition to Kimmy's great advice:

1) Bring a jumper just in case. Even if it's 30 degrees outside, the airconditioning can be very cold.

2) Moderate amounts of caffeine can boost cognitive performance, meaning 2-3 cups at most on GAMSAT morning.

3) Don't over eat for breakfast and lunch. Just some low-GI food as Kimmy suggested, so brown rice and also good quality protein. Don't eat greasy food!

4) Get enough sleep! Please finish all revision 2-3 days before GAMSAT so the last couple of days are spent (confidently) doing practice tests and you can go to bed confident in your ability and knowledge rather than lying awake and thinking "how does this chemical reaction proceed?" etc.

Good luck people!
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #2 on Feb 27, 2007, 6:41am »
What about timers?
I baught a cooking timer with a countdown clock, and have disabled the alarm. I use if for practice and I really really really want to take it to the exam. Am I to contact acer about this?
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #3 on Feb 27, 2007, 6:47am »
Don't know... maybe a digital watch would be a better option- because you can take it off and put it on the desk?? Contact ACER now and check.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #4 on Feb 27, 2007, 7:24am »
Modafinil is now legal in Australia?! Why do I not know about this! ;D
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #5 on Feb 27, 2007, 7:29am »

Quote:
Modafinil is now legal in Australia?! Why do I not know about this! ;D


Thanks to good ole wiki I can sound all knowledgeable and let you know that it's called Modavigil in Australia. Great name. ;)
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #6 on Feb 27, 2007, 9:53am »
I need you to enlighten me Gasboy. What on Earth is modafinil? ???


Quote:
Caffeine is fantastic - just make sure you don't need to p[image] s at an inconvenient moment.

Other legal performance enhancing drugs include modafinil...
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #7 on Feb 27, 2007, 11:25am »
Modafinil is a psychostimulant used for symptom control of excessive daytime tiredness (EDT)in narcolepsy. Also occasionally used in OSA etc to assist EDT levels and help CPAP compliance (rarely). Nasty side effects, many ADIs don't use it if you don't need it for a medical purpose.

Anyway- let's get this thread back on topic of useful exam tips. (Enough drug dealing OK?? :P)
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #8 on Feb 27, 2007, 12:51pm »

Quote:
In addition to Kimmy's great advice:

1) Bring a jumper just in case. Even if it's 30 degrees outside, the airconditioning can be very cold.

4) Get enough sleep! Please finish all revision 2-3 days before GAMSAT so the last couple of days are spent (confidently) doing practice tests and you can go to bed confident in your ability and knowledge rather than lying awake and thinking "how does this chemical reaction proceed?" etc.


I cannot agree enough with these 2 points! It was freezing where we did our Gammy (Zhong I assume you did it at Flinders too?) and that really saps your energy levels.

And get a good sleep routine now in prep for Gammy and not just on the 23rd.

remember, there is nothing more you can do just before the exam so just trust yourself, relax and let all that knowledge bubble to the surface (its in there alright!)!

All of us here will be batting for you on the day!

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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #9 on Feb 27, 2007, 1:02pm »
According to the movie something about Mary... there is only one way to be truely relaxed... I don't know whether you guys/girls want to try this method though.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #10 on Feb 27, 2007, 4:27pm »

Quote:
According to the movie something about Mary... there is only one way to be truely relaxed... I don't know whether you guys/girls want to try this method though.


whatever works eh? ;)
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #11 on Feb 27, 2007, 4:45pm »
For S3 which is long and painful....sneak in some pure glucose (jelly beans and lollies :)) to get you through the last hour!

Don't take them too early otherwise you'll crash.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #12 on Feb 28, 2007, 5:07pm »
For the students sitting GAMSAT in Adelaide along with what Zhong and milo said which I totally agree with :D I wanted to add another extra bit.... if you need to go to the toilet in between the break from section I [image] section II please dont feel ashamed to use the boys toilets (making sure that the ppl inside know you are coming in of course;) we had to do this last year). Remember because GAMSAT is a multiple choice exam for section I and III make sure you fill in the box for the right question number...

Best of luck everyone :D

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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #13 on Feb 28, 2007, 6:52pm »
Try to avoid all things that make you sleepy during the lunch break. Last year in Sydney it was very sunny outside, and I tend to feel drowsy if I sit under the sun for more then 10 mins.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #14 on Feb 28, 2007, 6:58pm »
Also, don't go in putting yourself down. I went in feeling totally underprepared last year. I realise now that I still managed to go in with a positive attitude (having a good night's sleep, packing an adequate lunch, having supporting family members all helped) and this helped me to relax and able to focus on the test.

Try to forget about each section after you have completed it. I felt like I had really stuffed up section 2 (which was meant to be one of my strengths) and kept going over it again and again throughout lunch. Needless to say, this was not a good strategy.

AFTER the exam, just forget and move on (or sleep :). Section III was torture but thanks to forum members' posts, I expected it to be so. I was able to walk away with relief at having completed it and didn't start the process of berating until the next day.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #15 on Mar 2, 2007, 11:58pm »
An important point (which Zhong has mentioned but I definitely have to repeat) is to definitely ensure that you have enough rest prior to the exam!!! Last minute cramming will more than likely do more harm than good! I must admit that nerves often get the better of students on the evening (and early hours of the morning) just before the exam. Several of my friends were tossing and turning all evening in bed before attending the exam and that didn't help at all! Try to 'achieve the proper mindset' a few days before the Gamsat!

Always be ready for the unexpected! This means absolutely anything - including possible showers, change in the weather, traffic delays, etc. You don't want to walk into the hall drenched, shivering or late! As an example, some of my friends who attended the exams for UMAT two years ago arrived to find a crowd of people already bunched up around the entrance gates, which were still unopened. All the covered areas had already occupied when it suddenly poured like mad! My friends walked in drenched and absolutely irritated - even if one is disciplined, such discomfort would surely have been a distraction. If possible, arriving much earlier than all the other candidates and finding your seat sooner will give you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the exam settings. Try and scout out the areas where the examiners are in case you need them (for whatever reason) as well as the quickest routes to the toilets (especially if you are female - the queues really built up during the break)!

To those who are fluent in a language other than english, check whether you have a bilingual dictionary available. Although the first two sections do run by quickly, having it with you may turn up handy! Ensure that your bilingual dictionary has a substantial portion which is not english! Prior to the start of Section I, one examiner inspected my Oxford bilingual dictionary and deemed it fine, while a second one who inspected it when Section II started had it conviscated!!! I was then told that it had 'too much english' in it. ;) Here is the relevant reference on the dictionaries:
http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=9

If anything goes wrong in any particular section (or any aspect of the exam, for that matter) DO NOT let this affect you for the remainder of the exam. If you think you did poorly in a particular section, simply calm down in the break between the sections. Spend this break time constructively. (You have now had this hammered into you several times, but it can't be stressed enough!) Do what works best for you. Avoid the 'loud groups' - whether they are publicly announcing they aced the section or whether they are complaining how difficult the section was - the section has passed and you should start preparing yourself mentally (and physically) for the following section.

You DO NOT want to allow yourself to be dragged into a downward spiral, allowing one section affect the others! The last thing you want to do is to allow your mind to meander into a different section when it is no longer relevant. In the end, remember that you don't need to get a great raw score to get a great Gamsat score. For all you know, everyone else might be experiencing as much if not more difficulty than what you're going through!

Finally, the Gamsat can be a grueling experience, especially for undergraduates who don't usually have papers more than 2-3 hours in one sitting. By the time you reach section III, you may already be totally drained! I recall that when I took the Gamsat last year, that many students had basically lost all chances of doing well in the final section as they had emotionally given up by the time they had reached section II. This I could not help noticing before I had even walked in for the start of section III.

Just remember that unlike many other exams, this one also stresses how well you can handle your nerves and how much stamina you have. There is still time to prepare yourself for this, so good luck and all the best!!!

Hope this helps guys,
Cheers!
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #16 on Mar 3, 2007, 9:25am »
My two cents in addition to the excellent advice above:

- Breakfast is really important, even if it makes you feel sick. When your stomach wakes up halfway through S1, you will not appreciate it if you haven't had any! Wholegrain toast/cereal with a piece of fruit will see you through.

- Save the caffeine for lunchtime. I did this and it worked so well - I brought a can of Sprite Recharge with me and drank it in the lunch break. It was unbelievably helpful for section 3, and that's what you need your energy for. Until then, pad out the day with good healthy food.

- Don't study the day before. Do some gentle exercise, walk to the shops, go for a swim - just to tire yourself out enough to be able to sleep the night before. If you absolutely must do something, try writing some summaries out of some science topics to read in the lunch break (I'm halfway through posting the ones I wrote the day before in the S3 board).

- Do not take it on as a personal challenge to attempt questions you're not familiar with but reckon you can answer. Investing your ego in an exam like this is a sure way to crash and burnsville. Do the ones you know for sure you can do first and don't think of it as 'letting questions beat you'. No one gets them all right, you're not expected to. You are expected to know your weaknesses and strategise accordingly. Don't waste time! Do the ones you know and come back to the ones you don't - end of story.

Bring:

- Earplugs. Seriously. You will thank this forum later. I still do.

- Ditto jellybeans (in Melbourne they let us have them on the desk).

- Small ruler for lining up against graphs, no one told me off about it.

- Two calculators - you just never know what might happen. There's a difference between a programmable and a graphics calculator apparently. I showed them my TI-83 and it was fine, but bring another just in case.

- A watch of any kind. There are clocks but you might get placed so far down the back of the room that you can't read it.

- A good attitude. As others have said, don't berate yourself, just move on. And ignore other people around you - pretend they are not there. I really valued my earplugs during S3 when the girl next to me started arguing with one of the staff. And at the end a guy stood up, looked around at everyone and said really loudly "that was really easy!" Ignore everyone - this is about you so don't let people live rent free in your head.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #17 on Mar 3, 2007, 9:57am »
Thanks Miss G and everyone else.

Earplugs. Fabulous idea. That is the best idea I have heard for years. 10 out of 10!

There is always someone in any exam doing something you don't want to hear.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #18 on Mar 3, 2007, 10:35am »
I tried earplugs while studying. The ones I bought looked really goofy (i.e. having a little handle to pull them out) and they hardly blocked out the sound at all.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #19 on Mar 3, 2007, 12:16pm »
Does anyone know if we should expect a short break between sections 1 and 2? The new Acer GAMSAT website doesn't say anything about a break between these two sections.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #20 on Mar 3, 2007, 12:38pm »

Quote:
Does anyone know if we should expect a short break between sections 1 and 2? The new Acer GAMSAT website doesn't say anything about a break between these two sections.


I noticed that as well, i certainly hope we do!
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #21 on Mar 3, 2007, 12:43pm »
It was all a bit of a blurr last year, but I seem to remember the break being as long as it took to collect the SI papers and then immediately crack-on with SII.

Lunch time is good though. Which is just as well going into SIII.

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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #22 on Mar 3, 2007, 12:55pm »

Quote:
I tried earplugs while studying. The ones I bought looked really goofy (i.e. having a little handle to pull them out) and they hardly blocked out the sound at all.


I remember one of our PagingDr members wore earplugs through last year's gamsat only to develop a rip-roaring earache by the end of SII. It might have been coincidence. It might not.

It is no doubt well-worth practising wearing earplugs for long periods of time. Try different brands and test them for comfort and reliability.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #23 on Mar 3, 2007, 1:43pm »
The malleable (sp) soft wax ones are best. They are the same colour as Vaseline - whatever that colour is.

I use them after night shifts and don't really have any problems with them.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #24 on Mar 3, 2007, 3:26pm »
A pleasant fact to remember is that wearing ear plugs or head phones for just 30 minutes doubles the bacteria in the auditory canal. ;)
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #25 on Mar 3, 2007, 3:58pm »

Quote:

- Don't study the day before.


How do people feel about looking through notes the morning of the GAMSAT, or during the lunch break? Does this help at all or should you know it by then and just relax your brain during those times?
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #26 on Mar 3, 2007, 4:41pm »
I did it during the lunch break. I made S3 summaries and read them all before going in - came in quite handy!
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #27 on Mar 3, 2007, 4:45pm »
Hi mtm

One of these days I am going to learn how to link to a post.

I am OK with a small increase in my own bacteria. Just be carefull about which public door handles you touch. Microbiology is one of those subjects that just puts you off 'pic and mix' at the movies.
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #28 on Mar 3, 2007, 4:58pm »
I didn't go through notes at lunch time. I spent the time relaxing and recharging my brain. I saw people reviewing the ACER practise paper in the break, and afterwards I was so glad that I hadn't bothered - it wouldn't have helped me in the slightest. :)
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Re: TIPS FOR EXAM DAY
« Reply #29 on Mar 3, 2007, 5:01pm »

Quote:
I didn't go through notes at lunch time. I spent the time relaxing and recharging my brain. I saw people reviewing the ACER practise paper in the break, and afterwards I was so glad that I hadn't bothered - it wouldn't have helped me in the slightest. :)


hehe thats pretty funny.. reading the acer paper at lunch is a total waste of time
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