I'm usually not prone to test taking anxiety but thinking about taking a test that has a significant impact on the rest of my life is enough to make me anxious. I was hoping for a noon or 2pm time slot. I figured that would give me a chance to sleep in, wake up, eat breakfast and not freak out too much before my test. Instead I got 5pm. I'm not sure how I'm going to avoid getting anxious. Right before a test like this I always sing at the top of my lungs. I'm not sure this is exactly scientific but I read somewhere that singing oxygenates your brain and that it can produce chemicals that make you happy. Singing loud also drowns out the negativity swirling around my head but I can't sing for five hours (or more) straight. I think that any extra studying or practice tests would probably stress me out too much.
At the present time I am focusing on studying for the GRE as much as possible but since there is little time between my test day and the due date of my first application, I'm also preparing those materials, starting with letters of recommendation. I'm applying to 5 different schools and 8 different programs. I only have one program that is totally out of left field, the rest are Art History or related (Art Administration or Museum Education). I have a top choice school but funding is a big issue. It will probably come down to who chooses me rather than who I choose. From research that I've done on the schools' websites it looks like the recommendations are a big factor in choosing students for financial aid. I think I'm at a slight disadvantage here since I've been out of college for a while. I only had one professor that I kept in touch with and was comfortable asking for a letter of recommendation. A former supervisor volunteered to write one but hasn't really done it before. I referred him to about.com. I think that will give him a good picture of a recommendation.
Now for me it is more studying and preparing my admissions essay.
