The 15 Minute Break

Cant Get Right

So, the 15 minute break is a time we can either rest and recharge for the final push, or just as easily, it's a time we can let our anxiety fester and boil. Having a 15 minute break plan can help maximize its potential benefits while minimizing its detriments. Since June is just a stone's throw away, I thought I'd share my strategy and see what others do.

So first the easy part. The snack. I keep it simple and natural. I have a banana and a clif bar. Then I have 8 oz of green tea which I make by shaking tea powder in a water bottle. Simple enough.

And of course, use the restroom.

The mental and emotional game is much more difficult. It's of course easier said than done, but don't dwell on the three sections that are behind you. If you've had two reading sections and one LR, then sure, make a mental note that you know you've got LR and Games coming at you, but don't think about your performance. It's done and there is nothing to be gained by giving it any thought while there is still more to come.

The other test takers can create either a positive or negative atmosphere, so feel free to disengage if you're getting a negative vibe. What I've found most useful is to steer the conversation towards prep. This keeps my thinking away from the test and directs it towards my awesome prep which, for every 7Sager, should be a point of pride and confidence. I'll talk about my LG drill system, my top PT scores, 7Sage, all the best things I've done to get to test day. This keeps me calm, confident, and focused. That's what you want going back in.

I really wish we could step outside and get some fresh air and sunshine.

Anybody else have 15 minute break tips?

cmelman95

Personally I don't think I'll be talking to any of the other test-takers during the break. I don't want anything to break my concentration, and I want to remain "in the zone" as much as possible while giving my brain a little time to recharge. Obviously everyone's different, and you must do what's right for you and your own quirky mind. But for me, I want no distractions.

Ron Swanson

I'm also going to be avoiding people during the break. During my last take I felt like I was surrounded by 80 neurotic people simultaneously having a panic attack..definitely steering clear of those vibes

Addistotle

Cannot imagine discussing anything with other people!

My plan: preparing myself for whatever sections I know are left and staying positive!

Need to figure out more about what I can just leave outside

quinnxzhang

At our testing center, they didn't allow us to speak with other test takers during the break. Every time someone would start talking in the hall, a proctor would try to silence the conversation.

stepharizona

Yeah, it is best to stay away from other people during the break, because people will talk. At my test, every group I was near was either talking about the test, the sections they had, and one girl was freaking out that she didn't know there was a 5th section. The proctors didn't do anything to stop talking.

I pretty much asked if I could walk upstairs and they said I could, so that was the place a few of us went to avoid all of the insanity happening downstairs. It was actually really shocking how much people were reveling.

I had planned a good snack and had just enough time to eat and drink what I brought plus use the restroom. Even though I had practiced with a proctor, the 15 min break FLEW by. A few people had a problem checking back into the room because they had left their IDs on their desks.

Oh and that was the other thing, they made us all leave the room for our break. I am not sure if that is normal or not, but thats what happened.

Best advice I can say, is avoid people, pack a snack to recharge your brain, and relax as much as possible during the break. Shake off anything that happened during the first half and just be ready to go!

BruiserWoods

I go to the bathroom, and then eat an orange as a snack and 1/2 of a Starbucks frappuccino (the ones that go in the glass bottles you can buy at the grocery store or gas station or whatever) for a little caffeine boost.

While i'm eating my orange, I try to walk around and stretch. I also try to do a short, 5-minute meditation to recenter myself and regain a little focus to power through the last part of the test.

Sprinkles

I think everyone here basically said what I wanted to say except LOOOOOL love the profile pic you got going there. A true classic.

BruiserWoods

@montahar whose? @"Ron Swanson"'s?

Sprinkles

@BruiserWoods said:
whose?

Nope, the author of this thread haha.

Cant Get Right

You get me @montahar