What to Do the Day Before the DAT?

You have just spent months studying for the DAT and, finally, the day after tomorrow will be the day that you tackle this behemoth. How will you spend tomorrow? Do you continue to grind practice questions, or should you take the day off and relax? This is a situation that every dental student has had to go through.

Honestly, there is no easy way to answer this question. You will have test-takers from both sides of the spectrum telling you that their method worked well for them. However, the truth is that if you have been studying productively, followed our recommended study guide, and went through all content and practice questions, then your score will probably not change much regardless of what you do on the day before your DAT. This is why we recommend taking the day to collect yourself so you may be in peak mental and physical shape for the next day. 

Students who study diligently know more than they think. Your brain will find it difficult to forget facts that you have repeatedly drilled into your head.  For this reason, an extra day of studying will not change much in the grand scheme of things and could backfire and cause panic at the depth of information that you have to review. It is never a good thing to feel unprepared, and no amount of panic studying on the final day will improve your score significantly. Instead, take some time to have a day to recharge and prepare your body, with some of the tips below. 

I. Wake Up Early

This is an important one because you want to start being consistent with your wake-up and sleeping times. You really do not want to wake up at 11 a.m. the day before your test and then have trouble sleeping early the night before, especially if your test is at 8 a.m. To tackle this, you should start having a consistent sleep schedule for at least a week to mimic test-day wake-up time. I also personally recommend all the night owls like myself to look for a later test time if available. For me, I have trouble sleeping the day before a big day, so I scheduled a test for 11:30 a.m.

II. Do Leisure Activities

Do enjoyable or leisure activities that will relieve stress and anxiety. Doing so will refresh and prepare you for the next day. Exercising is fine and recommended. That said, do not try to set your personal bench press record. The trick is to not overexert yourself and have a sore and aching body by test day. As for me, I did light stretching and yoga while watching some of my favourite TV shows. That completely recharged me for test day.

III. Eat Healthy

Eating healthy is an extremely important part of self-care. Stick with a balanced meal on a consistent eating schedule. Do not eat too much before bedtime and do not eat extremely greasy or sugary foods that will make you feel lethargic. On test day, remember to bring a snack. As for me, I brought a banana and a protein bar. One piece of advice: if you drink caffeine regularly, make sure you bring it to the exam; now is not the time to quit!

IV. Get a Good Night's Rest

This last one goes without saying, but please do not decide to binge the entire eight seasons of Game of Thrones or 1,000 episodes of One Piece and end up sleeping at 2 a.m. This is a reminder to keep a consistent sleeping schedule and wake up on time for test day, feeling well and refreshed. Try to get a full 8 hours of sleep and also allot time to eat breakfast and travel time to get to the testing center.

Lastly, remember that you know more than you think. I know it is easier said than done, but try not to be too anxious about the test. If you have been studying well, your score will absolutely reflect it.

V. Plan Ahead

In addition to adjusting your sleep schedule you can also plan the day before the test well in advance. Be sure to check the last week of your DATBooster study schedule and see if there are any customizations you would like to make. Much of the last two weeks is centered around review and finishing full length tests. This allows you to go at your own pace and finish how you want. Customizing your final week like this can reduce stress as you have control over what is going on leading up to the day before your DAT. By planning ahead and making the final week work for you, you can walk into test day feeling prepared, confident, and ready to do your best.