Mark, I think you might be psyching yourself out a bit - I can relate though as I've done it myself.
Coming off a recent failure is humbling but knowing that I did fairly well on the lab made me more confident for attempt #2. I would not be so hard on yourself with regards to the time required to complete a practice lab in the beginning of your practice. Concentrate more on completing all the tasks in a lab without referring to the proctor guide but instead trying to figure it out on your own. Unless you absolutely don't know what they want from the task in the practice lab, don't go back to the proctor guide. Still, in the beginning - if you absolutely don't know what they want you do to for a task - let it go and continue with the lab. If you have an idea of what they want - try to make it work through the DocCD. The bottom line is the things you have problems with are the things that you will recall the most (at least it was for me) but at the same time - beating yourself up with a task and letting it murder you does not help you. I went through those myself and those tasks did not make me any better - just confused. Don't beat yourself up on things - if you really don't get it or can't get it. Beating yourself over the head isn't going to work to help you - instead you need to study that subject more. I think your point #7 is a good one but save it until you complete the lab. There were plenty of practice labs where I completed the task differently than the proctor guide but managed to maintain myself within the restrictions. Once you've completed the lab - go ahead and work out the other ways you could do it. Keep plugging away - when is your lab date? -Mike
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