The Day Before the Big Day

Alright, so you've made it to the day before the big exam. Your test is scheduled for tomorrow - bright and early! Your mind begins to wander and then spiral... What am I supposed to do today? Cram? Relax? ...But I can't remember if I studied enough of section F...or B! Does partial interval over or under estimate? Wait, why am I taking this test, I don't know anything at all!

Stop. Breath. You're going to be fine.

You've been studying this material for months - you've got this. You might feel like now is the last chance to cram as much of that Cooper book into your (already stuffed) head as possible, but now is not the time to be learning. You already know it. Questioning yourself at this point will leave you anxious and insecure - Exactly the opposite of how you should feel walking into that testing center. It’s time to review, refresh, and relax!

Here are some recommendations on how to spend your day before the exam:

1). If you’re taking the exam in the morning, wake up around that same time that you plan to on test day to prepare yourself. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, curl up on the couch, and re-read your notes – once. Unless there is something that really stands out that you don’t remember or understand, leave your Cooper book closed.

2). Once you wrap up – go do something you enjoy for a few hours. Go for a jog, read a (non ABA) book, call a friend, take your dog for a long walk, take a yoga class (my personal happy place). Whatever encourages you to feel calm and relaxed – do it!

3). Come back home, pull out your Behavior Boot Camp SAFMEDS,

and casually run through them for about an hour.

4). Make or order your favorite, at least semi-healthy, dish. Enjoy it – no ABA materials. Prep your breakfast and morning-of clothes so that you have absolutely nothing to worry about when you wake up in the morning.

5). Run through your SAFMEDS one more time, for about 30 minutes. Read through your notes one last time. This is the last time you will look at any of your ABA materials before the test – this is okay. You are prepared.

6). Put on a movie (I chose “The Switch” with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, no judgement), and turn your mind off.

7). Get into bed at a decent hour – you need to get eight hours of sleep tonight. Do a little meditation or some deep breaths if that suits you. Tell yourself that you’re prepared, you’ve done everything that you can do, and you’re ready.

Wake up feeling refreshed and ready to CRUSH your exam.

Let us know what your pre-exam tips are in the comments!