18 replies to this topic

[hillsofmexico]

I like to think that everything counts in preparation for this exam.

Check out this post on Schwartz's site about a recommended breakfast food for test day: http://lsatblog.blog...mendations.html

I like his oatmeal idea in particular:

Quote

Oatmeal with bananas, raisins, or cranberries is probably about as healthy as it gets, while mild enough that it shouldn't give you any stomach issues. Eat it well before the exam starts so that you'll have time to go to the bathroom (oatmeal has lots of fiber).

I've been having steel-cut oatmeal with raisins, a spoon of nutella, a small spoon of peanut butter, and hemp hearts. I add milk before mixing to cool the creation down (and because nutella and milk just love to hang out). I will probably add the banana. This is my favourite breakfast and it really holds me over. For the breaks I have a sports drink, and a trail mix of almonds/dark chocolate and raisins and a bit of salt mixed into the ziplock.

Has anyone also made a specific breakfast/pre-PT+break diet?

Best luck with the exam on saturday.

[BetterCallSaul]

I'd even bring a banana for the break. They provide incredible energy (enough for a 90-minute exercise) and act as a binding agent during digestion (in case nerves upset your stomach).

Just as an aside: it's generally a bad idea to introduce radically different foods for your exam. For example, starting a high-fibre diet and eating probiotic yogurt (when your body is not used to these foods) will almost certainly result in indigestion during your test. You should probably just eat whatever you normally eat.

[muffins]

Oatmeal really helped me. Avoid too much fruit (it is digested too quickly) and greasy foods (bacon, sausages, pancakes, eggs, potatoes). Many studies show that greasy foods slow cognitive function.

[tng11]

I'll echo the above and say don't introduce new foods on the day of your exam. If possible, eat the exact same things at the same times on the days when you do PTs to see if it gives you problems when sitting down for such a long exam.

I just ate the same things I do every morning, maybe a bowl of muesli or oatmeal with some fresh fruit in the morning. That should get you filled up well and clean out your intestines. I don't touch greasy foods in the morning (or most of the time anyways).

Closer to the exam starting, I brought a banana for extra energy as I was writing at 12PM. For the break I brought an energy bar and some mixed nuts.

My biggest mistake on my first attempt was I downed a huge cup of coffee an hour before the exam started. Not only did I nearly have a panic attack on the second section, having the urge to go the bathroom really messed things up.

[LikeThat12]

I brought 3 bananas (2 of which I ate during the break) and a bottle of powerade. If you plan on bringing energy drinks, I strongly recommend diluting them with water, otherwise you may get a sugar-high and crash soon after. If you habitually have a cup of coffee every morning, stick to it and avoid breaking your routine. However, I would highly recommend chilling in the washroom for a solid 10-20 mins. prior to the exam in order to avoid a diuretic mishap mid-test.

Never underestimate the power of muscle memory...

[tng11]

By the way, here's a little protip:

On the admission ticket, it says you can bring "a snack". Being a smart-alec wannabe law student caught up in the world of LSAT logic, I took that to mean just one snack item. I remember myself snickering at the thought of watching people in line with multiple snacks in their bag and failing at RC.

You can have as many items as you want in your bag in case you want to pig out during the break to make yourself feel better after getting owned by a behemoth RC section.

[mcakes]

I had granola, yoghurt and some berries before the LSAT with a small glass of orange juice and a small coffee. I also brought an apple and a granola bar for break. This was definitely enough food for me.

I know the original post was about things to eat before the test but one word of advice I would give is to drastically limit the amount of liquids you bring with you. A big mistake I made both times I wrote was to bring (and then drink out of sheer nervousness) way too much water which can really mess up your concentration. So if you are going to bring a bottle of water maybe fill it up a quarter of the way. They will likely have fountains somewhere in the testing center if you get really thirsty anyways.

[BetterCallSaul]

 mcakes, on 07 February 2012 - 09:35 AM, said:

A big mistake I made both times I wrote was to bring (and then drink out of sheer nervousness) way too much water which can really mess up your concentration. So if you are going to bring a bottle of water maybe fill it up a quarter of the way. They will likely have fountains somewhere in the testing center if you get really thirsty anyways.

I also made this mistake during my first attempt. It's better to be a bit thirsty than to have to waste time going to the washroom during your test.

 tng11, on 07 February 2012 - 09:22 AM, said:

You can have as many items as you want in your bag in case you want to pig out during the break to make yourself feel better after getting owned by a behemoth RC section.

You can also bring medications (OTC or otherwise) with you in your bag. I definitely found it worthwhile to have Advil on hand for the break.

[staffer]

Brace yourself for my most gross post ever:

After writing section #3 with the urgent need to pee during my first writing, in my recent one I was really careful to force myself to go immediately before the LSAT (at the test centre) and at the break.

As for #2; Knowing my own "schedule" I was sure to wake up early enough that I would go before leaving home that morning. I also kept 1 dose of Imodium in my pocket, just in case. (it's not strictly permitted to have anything in your pocket, but I did it anyway)

Another word of wisdom: this didn't happen to me, but every time I've written people in the same room as me have had serious gas issues. I think maybe it's the stress, but I've never seen as many people pass gas in public in my life.

[antioppressivepractice]

Thanks for posting this. I had oatmeal for breakfast and water, during the break I had a granola bar and a banana. I am going to add cranberries, raisins, and bananas to the oatmeal this time after reading this post.

[staffer]

As members of the LS.ca community, I think we should strive to have more threads about poo.

[RonnieRockstar]

 staffer, on 07 February 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

As members of the LS.ca community, I think we should strive to have more threads about poo.

I agree, regularity is vital for mental clarity.

[t3ctonics]

I have oats with a scoop of whey protein every morning. Gotta get that protein in your diet bro!

Oats and whey is delicious, very healthy, and will keep you full longer than just about anything else without making you bloated or gassy (unless you buy shitty whey). On exam days (LSAT and finals) I always add a couple of eggs on the side, fried without oil (partially because they're a source of choline, but mostly just because eggs make me happy).

Of course, yogurt with oats or granola will give you much of the same benefits, but be aware that many commercial yogurts are very high in sugar, which will make your blood sugar spike and crash. So read your labels carefully.

I'm a heavy coffee drinker by nature, but on my LSAT I drank way too much and had to take a pee break. Luckily I was able to finish RC early, Now, I cut out coffee for a week to two months before exams, then have a maximum of one travel mug of coffee, which I start drinking about an hour before the exam and finish about halfway through. I do notice a significant mental performance increase when I have caffeine, but it makes me crash, decreases my sleep quality the following night, and I get dependent on it very quickly.

Aside from basic nutrition and sleep (which should be obviously important), make sure you stay hydrated. During a three hour final, I'll normally drink a full litre of water. During my LSAT I think I drank two. Of course, I had to pee, but taking a minute will surely do less damage to your score than your brain getting dehydrated and your performance suffering as a result. Dehydration starts before you start to feel thirsty, so if you're already thirsty, you're already falling behind! Get wet! Almost nobody drinks enough water. If you're really worried about having to take time to pee, catheterize yourself before the exam. It's pretty easy, and any nurse should be able to show you how.

Anyways, good luck on your LSATs everyone, and watch out for UTIs!

[Wenis]

This is totally off-topic, but I didn't think this question deserved it's own thread so forgive/pardon me.

For the smokers here, does anyone if we are allowed to leave the building to go outside for a smoke during the break? I can see a cigarette craving being extremely distracting during the second half of the test. And please don't tell me to quit because it's unhealthy, lol. It's a little too late for that now =)

[QuincyWagstaff]

 Wenis, on 07 February 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

This is totally off-topic, but I didn't think this question deserved it's own thread so forgive/pardon me.

For the smokers here, does anyone if we are allowed to leave the building to go outside for a smoke during the break? I can see a cigarette craving being extremely distracting during the second half of the test. And please don't tell me to quit because it's unhealthy, lol. It's a little too late for that now =)

No, you cannot. However, you could leave during a section you've finished early for a bathroom break and sneak out for a smoke then.

Edited by QuincyWagstaff, 07 February 2012 - 12:02 PM.

[KER_2012]

 Wenis, on 07 February 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

For the smokers here, does anyone if we are allowed to leave the building to go outside for a smoke during the break?

It depends on the test centre.

[guille]

 Wenis, on 07 February 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

This is totally off-topic, but I didn't think this question deserved it's own thread so forgive/pardon me.

For the smokers here, does anyone if we are allowed to leave the building to go outside for a smoke during the break? I can see a cigarette craving being extremely distracting during the second half of the test. And please don't tell me to quit because it's unhealthy, lol. It's a little too late for that now =)

Where are you writing the LSAT? When I wrote at Humber College (Toronto) in December, we were allowed to leave the building for fresh air, etc. This was not the case when I wrote the first time in October at Osgoode Hall Law School. However, even though we were allowed, at Humber College, to leave the building, I cannot guarantee it will be the same even if you choose this same test centre.

[danman99]

Nicotine patches all the way!

[mark4]

 Wenis, on 07 February 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

This is totally off-topic, but I didn't think this question deserved it's own thread so forgive/pardon me.

For the smokers here, does anyone if we are allowed to leave the building to go outside for a smoke during the break? I can see a cigarette craving being extremely distracting during the second half of the test. And please don't tell me to quit because it's unhealthy, lol. It's a little too late for that now =)

During the December 2012 test at Windsor they didn't say anything about people not being allowed to smoke, they did say however not to wonder off the general property. I went out myself just to get a jolt from some cool fresh air.