PDD - 7th Attempt and Passed!
I recently passed PDD on my seventh attempt - yes, seven! Needless to say, I really struggled with this exam so I wanted to write this post as my advice is perhaps a little different than most on this forum.
Many posts on this forum will list all the books, courses, lectures, etc. people used to study. Believe me, I used most of them so I'm not discrediting these sources. However, what I found that really helped me succeed is something less discussed - preparation for the brain and body.
What I did was starting about 6-8 weeks prior to PPD and PDD was uphold a few healthy, clean living tactics which I found really help sharpen my brain and body. These tactics were as follows:
- Eat at least (1) salad per day consisting of whole foods.
- Minimum 7 hours of sleep per night.
- Exercise 3-4 times per week (yoga, cardio and light strength training)
- Abstain from alcohol
- Drink lots of water (no sweeteners)
I found once my body got into this routine after 2 weeks, my brain was operating at a much higher level and I was able to retain information longer and stay focused much better. This helped both while studying and taking the exam. So if you are searching for that extra thing to help put you over the top, I suggest you try this tactic. It can't hurt.
Good luck!
Brian.
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Congratulations and I'm so glad you wrote a post about this. I took the same approach when studying for the AREs and I think it's one of the main reasons I made it through them. It's nearly impossible to retain new information and study effectively when you're sleep deprived, lacking proper fuel, studying at the wrong times, and not staying fit. The holistic approach you took is so important. For me it was dramatically increasing my water intake, light exercise every day, morning meditation, lots of fruits and nuts, and 7 hours a night minimum. It really makes a difference.
Congrats again!
Ben Eckhard | Archizam Practice Exams
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