Calling all small bladders

Comments

• mattfarano Alum Member

  July 2019 3 karma

  Try and stop drinking water something like 3 hours before your test and limit your intake as much as possible the day of (or as best as possible if you're writing an 8:30). This can be accomplished by loading up on 2.5-3.5 L of water in the days leading up to the test to make sure you aren't dehydrated the day of and don't require too much extra water.
• BlindReviewer Alum Member

  July 2019 855 karma

  What @mattfarano said about drinking 3L of water every day leading up to the exam. I drank one cup of coffee in the morning before the June exam and didn't drink any water to avoid having to go. It may seem a bit over-kill, but just practicing your game day routine including water/coffee consumption and bathroom breaks will really help!
• AudaciousRed Alum Member

  July 2019 2689 karma

  Drink very little during your break. Finish your water after the test. I found that there are Jelly Belly jelly beans that contain caffeine and electrolytes, so if you need a pick me up, I'd suggest something like that vs a soda or drink.
• Hotcheetosforever Alum Member

  July 2019 20 karma

  Hi I have a tiny bladder and also I am constantly dehydrated so not drinking water 3 hours before is almost impossible for me. From my experience, the more I drink on a daily basis, the more my body needs to feel hydrated.

  I drink a small amount of coconut water before I take a practice test and during the break, and also remind myself that I CAN control my bladder. Oh and if you're a big coffee drinker, try espresso shots instead of water downed coffee which will make you pee more I think?

  Definitely not scientifically proven but someone told me you get 3 signals from your bladder when you need to pee until you really can't hold it in anymore. When I feel like I need to pee I remind myself I have 2 more "signals" left lol.

  Good luck on bladder controlling!
• Chardiggity Alum Member

  July 2019 336 karma

  You may have to weigh the benefit of ducking out early on a section and possibly sacrificing a few points with the possibility of points lost throughout the next section because you can't focus. You could also do a few old tests during your prep and practice adjusting your liquid intake to find a good balance between hydration and your eyeballs floating, and to practice answering questions while holding it. Good luck!
• Pride Only Hurts Alum Member

  July 2019 2186 karma

  I had to go really bad during my last take. I genuinely contemplated leaving at the end of my section because I finished with some time to spare. I will not be drinking any water the day of the July exam and will use the bathroom ahead of time.
• Lolo1996 Member

  July 2019 498 karma

  Train your bladder. I can go 1.5 hours, the duration of my lectures. Try to train your bladder as well! Like, when you feel the need to go, wait 10-15 minutes. Do this regularly. Also, evaluate how badly you need to go.

  Meanwhile, just do not drink any water the day of the exam, or before bed. Have an espresso if you take coffee. Go before or in between sections. Drink after.
• 1 Like

  Chloe123 Core Member

  July 2019 16 karma

  I drink lots of water and basically have zero bladder. Have been that way since I was little. The first time I took the LSAT, I went to the bathroom three times during the timed test. It was ridiculous and very much interfered with my performance. However, the second time I took the LSAT I had no bathroom interruptions. Here’s what I did differently: First, do not eat fruit for breakfast. This may seem obvious but fruit has lots of water in it. I unfortunately did not take this into account when I ate an entire carton of blueberries for breakfast prior to my first sitting. Have a protein-based breakfast instead (protein bar, egg, etc). Second, drink one glass of water when you first wake up and drink nothing more (unless you have a medical condition requiring you to drink water more frequently, in which case you could try getting accommodations for breaks). It was way more manageable to test while a little thirsty (you forget about it) than to constantly think about how bad I needed to go and how much longer would I make it and omg i’m gunna pee my pants etc, etc. On that note, make sure to use the restroom before you go into the test room. Like if you haven’t gone yet or if the last time you went was a while ago do not walk into that test room. Fourth, do not drink coffee or espresso in the morning. I bought these mints infused with green tea powder and chocolate covered espresso beans from Peets. Worked fine. There’s a million ways to get your caffeine fix (don’t go overboard with caffeine pills though, they can be rly dangerous). Fifth, make sure you bring a sweatshirt (without a hood) and wear light pants to the test center. Being cold makes you need to go. (Even though its summer time, some test centers have the air conditioning blasting out of control.) If you do all of this you’ll be A1.
• CoffeeEnthusiast Alum Member

  July 2019 211 karma

  Guys!! Thank you for all the advice! I did a combination of them and even though I started having to go mid 2nd section and it was kind of bothering me during the 3rd one, I didn’t have to leave mid-test!