I made sure to double/triple/quadruple check repeatedly that I had everything I needed (especially after the horror stories I heard about those who forgot their admission ticket, calculator, etc.), go to bed early enough the night before, and use both an alarm clock and the hotel wake-up service. Some more tips: 1. BRING your own food and drink. It’s so much faster, more convenient, and healthier. 2. Do NOT drink too much of ANYTHING. For breakfast, I just drank a juice pack of 100% pure apple juice (6.75 ounces) and a few sips of water. For lunch, I drank the same thing. I had to make sure that I wouldn’t need bathroom breaks during the exam. I saw other candidates drinking Coke, Pepsi, and even Red Bull. That sheer volume of fluid PLUS the caffeine HAD to have an effect. If I drank a full can of cola or an energy drink, I would have needed several bathroom breaks. 3. Eat light but substantial meals low in fat and sodium and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Eating a large, fattening meal for breakfast or lunch gives me that heavy, sluggish feeling. Consuming too much sodium makes me thirsty, which affects my concentration. If I drink more to quench the parched feeling, then I need more bathroom breaks. For breakfast, I ate two homemade oat bran muffins and a few pieces of dried apricot. For lunch, I ate a homemade peanut butter and jelly (the kind made from 100% fruit) on whole grain bread, another homemade oat bran muffin, and a few more pieces of dried apricot. The natural sugars gave me some energy, the complex carbohydrates gave me some longer-lasting energy, and the fiber helped my carbohydrate supply last longer by keeping my digestion slow and smooth. Since both my breakfast and lunch were low in sodium, I didn’t dehydrate. 4. Review the Schweser Secret Sauce and your condensed notes (containing the critical formulas you need to remember) during your lunch break after finishing lunch, but keep an eye on the time. Following these tips helped me to perform MUCH better than I expected.
Oops, this was meant for the Level I board. Moderators: Please move this.