Testing for the new MCAT begins this month, on April 17^th to be exact. Testing will go through September. You can see the full 2015 testing calendar here. If you are a registered test taker, you have undoubtedly been spending a good portion of your time studying and preparing.

For many test takers, the hours spent not studying are consumed by another activity – worry. Many people experience nervousness in preparation for an exam and especially on test day. Surprisingly, moderate levels of stress can actually be helpful. In preparation for the exam, it can help motivate you to study.

On test day, you can get a boost of adrenaline which can actually help you feel more mentally alert and can help you perform better. Problems arise though when this fear becomes excessive and debilitating. Like more general forms of anxiety, test anxiety is categorized as a psychological condition.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, test anxiety can cause emotional symptoms (fear & anger) as well as physical symptoms like nausea, headache, rapid heartbeat, light-headedness, and a shortness of breath. These physical symptoms can trigger a panic attack.

The behavioral/cognitive symptoms that arise from test anxiety often include negative thoughts and a difficulty concentrating. If you know you are prone to anxiety, especially test anxiety, then you will need to adopt coping mechanisms to help you throughout your MCAT experience.

Use your own tried and true methods, while keeping these tips in mind.

Managing anxiety DURING TEST PREPARATION:

• Maintain a balanced schedule - Study and prepare but don’t spend all of your time focusing on the MCAT as it will only serve to stress you out even more.
• Keep healthy – Eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep. It will be more difficult to combat stress and anxiety if you are overtired and sick.
• Look at the big picture – Your entire self-worth is not dependent on this one exam and if it doesn’t go well, you will have other chances. Putting undue pressure on the situation will only create more stress.
• It matters what you tell yourself – Instead of saying “I’m nervous,” say “I’m excited.” This can help transform some of the anxiety and in reality, you are excited because taking this test is moving you forward to where you want to go.
• Practice relaxation techniques – Dr. Andrew Weil swears by a breathing technique which has been described as a natural tranquilizer. Try 4-7-8. Breathe in for four counts, hold for seven counts and the release the breath with your mouth open and hold the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth for eight counts. Repeat this three times.

Managing anxiety ON TEST DAY:

• Utilize relaxation techniques – It’s time to use the techniques you practiced! Take calming deep breaths and say to yourself “All shall be well. All matters of things shall be well.” Research on meditation has shown that the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain in charge of abstract thinking and critical analysis, responds to positive slogans, exercise and mindfulness.
• Take a pause – If you begin to panic on test day, then allow yourself a quick break and to breathe and regroup.
• Focus on you – Test anxiety often comes from dysfunctional cognitive-behavioral patterns, like comparing yourself to others. Do your best to concentrate on YOU!

If you have strategies for managing test anxiety, please comment below!

Are you feeling stuck? Are you looking to recharge some aspect of your career and/or life? Here are four powerful questions to ask yourself:

1.  What is a chance event that you wish would happen to you?

2.  What can you do now to increase the likelihood of that desirable event?

3.  How would your life change if you acted?

4.  How would your life change if you did nothing?

To learn more about these questions, continue reading a post from the OITE Career Blog originally published in May 2010.

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Post written by: Anne Kirchgessner, LCPC, NCC, Career Counselor

Feeling stuck in your current job? Not sure what your next career step is? Here are some tips to help you make your own good luck and take advantage of both planned and unplanned career opportunities.

John Krumboltz, a noted career development theorist, considers ways to take advantage of both chance and planned events.

He calls this concept Happenstance Learning Theory. His work takes into account that the careers of most people have been impacted by chance happenings as well as planned events.

In a recent article in the Journal of Career Assessment (Vol. 17, No. 2, May 2009), Krumboltz writes:

“No one can predict the future – everyone’s career is influenced by many unplanned events.”

He encourages people to remain open to exploring opportunities in order to move ahead in a positive way toward their goals.

The three steps Krumboltz suggests in controlling unplanned events are:

1. Before the unplanned event, take actions that position you to experience it.

Application: Be active in many ways. Join walking groups, attend professional meetings, start a book club, etc.

2. During the event, remain alert and sensitive to recognize potential opportunities.

Application: Keep your mind open to meeting people and finding new opportunities ALL the time, not just at career-related events.

3. After the event, initiate actions that enable you to benefit from it.

Application: Follow up, keep in touch, explore related opportunities.

Rather than say something like "I can't do this because..." he suggests asking: “How can I act now to increase the chance of a desirable future event?”

Following are four questions that Krumboltz poses that may help you to look ahead in a more positive way to explore a new or future direction:

1. What is a chance event that you wish would happen to you?

e.g. someone might say "I want to meet someone involved in public policy."

2. How can you act now to increase the chance of a desirable future event?

e.g. “I could join a group affiliated with this field, and/or search on LinkedIn for people currently working in public policy.”

3. How would your life change if you acted?

e.g.  “I would learn more about public policy and probably make some good contacts in the field.”

4. How would your life change if you did nothing?

e.g. “Hard to say for sure…” (But it’s likely that you could miss some opportunities to explore and move ahead toward your goals)

Answering these questions might give you more knowledge and the flexibility to take advantage of chance opportunities.

Krumboltz also believes that the goal of career counseling is to help people “learn to take actions to achieve more satisfying career and personal lives - not just make a single career decision.”

• Sincerely,
• Thank you in advance.
• Best regards,
• Kind regards,
• Warm regards,
• Fondly,
• Enjoy your weekend!
• Cheers!

• xoxo,
• Love,
• Hugs,
• Take it easy…{insert bro, dude, and any other casual identifier}
• Any smiley face emoticon [:-) or emoji

• Quotes from Gandhi or some other inspirational figure
• Biblical verses
• Using work email to campaign for a political candidate or cause
• Using too many different colors and styles of font
• Including every possible way the reader can be in touch with you
• Here is an example of what NOT to do:

• Best– This is the most ubiquitous. It’s widely accepted. I recommend it highly and so do the experts. OITE response: Widely used, but depending on the tone of the rest of the email, this can also come across as rude or a curt brush off.
• Best Regards– More formal than the ubiquitous “Best.” I use this occasionally.
• Thanks- Lett says this is a no-no. “This is not a closing. It’s a thank-you,” she insists. I disagree. Forbes Leadership Editor Fred Allen uses it regularly and I think it’s an appropriate, warm thing to say. I use it too.
• Thanks!– This rubs me the wrong way because I used to have a boss who ended every email this way. She was usually asking me to perform a task and it made her sign-off seem more like a stern order, with a forced note of appreciation, than a genuine expression of gratitude. But in the right context, it can be fine.
• Thank you– More formal than “Thanks.” I use this sometimes.
• Thank you!– This doesn’t have the same grating quality as “Thanks!” The added “you” softens it.
• Rushing– This works when you really are rushing and may have made typos or written abbreviated sentences. It expresses humility and regard for the recipient. OITE response: Is this really necessary? Be careful of what you send in haste.
• Your name– Terse but just fine in many circumstances. Probably not a good idea for an initial email. OITE response: Disagree – sometimes you just do not need one!
• High five from down low– A colleague shared this awful sign-off which is regularly used by a publicist who handles tech clients. An attempt to sound cool, which fails.
• Sent from my iPhone– This may be the most ubiquitous sign-off. It used to bother me but I realize that it explains brevity and typos. I’ve erased it from my iPhone signature because I don’t like to freight my emails with extra words, and in many instances I don’t want the recipient to know I’m not at my desk. But maybe I should restore it. The same goes for automated messages on other devices. OITE response: Go to your setting and turn this off; nobody needs to know you are sending email from your blackberry or smartphone.
• Typos courtesy of my iPhone– Slightly clever but it’s gotten old. Better to use the automated message.
• Sent from a prehistoric stone tablet– I laughed the first time I read it but then the joke wore thin.
• Yours Truly– I don’t like this. It makes me feel like I’m ten years old and getting a note from a pen pal in Sweden.

George Orwell was an English novelist, essayist and journalist; among some of his most famous works are the novels 1984, Animal Farm and Down and Out in Paris and London. He outlined six rules for better writing in his essay “Politics and the English Language.” He noted “But one can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails.” The following rules will cover most cases:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Orwell encouraged you to ask yourself: “What image or idiom will make it clearer? Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?” Overused phrases like “leave no stone unturned” or “toe the line” often fall flat because they are so common.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. It is great to have a robust vocabulary, but don’t fall into the trap of trying to find fancy synonyms for all of your words. Many break this rule when writing personal statements or cover letters in an attempt to impress the reader.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Clear and concise writing often doesn’t happen in the first draft. You will need to edit, edit, and then edit some more.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Writers frequently break this rule, especially when writing resume bullets. An active voice is better because it is often shorter and more powerful. Not sure of the difference between an active voice and passive voice? Here is an example.  Passive: The boy was bitten by the dog. Active: The dog bit the boy.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. This rule applies to non-academic writing because obviously scientific literature and publications will contain highly specific and technical language. For non-academic writing, it is important to follow this rule so that a layperson can understand.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous. This last rule seems to be tacked on as a reminder to use your common sense about the application of the first five rules. Also, it seems Orwell could have followed rule #2 more closely and found another word for barbarous.

NOTE: Orwell applied the rules to politicians and political speak. You might be interested in his thoughts. Whether you are writing a personal statement, a cover letter or simply just an email, try these rules out. Let us know what you think? What are some of your rules for writing well?