Article: Have pencils, and also a ruler, protractor, or compass if you feel you might need it. Plan for every contingency. Bring tissues. If you've prepared, you have every right to feel confident. Chances are, 99 percent of the people you are taking the test with (especially the AMC level) haven't prepared as much as you, and that gives you the edge. Fill in the information carefully and completely. That way, you won't have to worry about calculating how many minutes you have left with an analog clock on the wall––one less thing to worry about. If you want, divide the scrap paper into parts with a box for each question to keep your work organised. You can also make boxes for each question as you go. The proctor has finished checking to see that everyone is ready. She looks at the clock and waits for the second hand to get to the top of the minute. A few minutes later and she says - "You may begin." Here is where the training should kick in. You should start at the beginning, and read the first question. Don't read it so fast you miss details; this is a possibility if it is a speed test. Read slowly and deliberately, and solve the problem on the scrap paper. When you finish, read the problem again, and make sure you did what they wanted. Once you are sure, bubble it in or otherwise, and continue. Depending on the contest, the act of solving the problem could take 30 seconds to an hour. That is the part that should be savored––the actual solving process. Hopefully, you will be able to solve the problems easily at first, and you will find elements of problems that you have done or practiced before. Hopefully also you will discover solutions to problems you have never seen before, and you will wonder in awe at their elegance. After all, that is what math contests are all about. If you still can't solve it, skip it and do it later. In lower level contests, there is usually a trick or an easy way to solve the problems. Remember that 99% of the time, you will use all of the information given to you, so if you haven't used something, think about how you might. Oftentimes, one more look will make you realize that there is a solution after all, and it isn't such a hard problem. Sometimes, you need to calculate whether to guess or not--be wary. If you have eliminated it down to 2, oftentimes the wrong answer will look much more appealing, especially up around AMC questions #20 and up. Make yourself have a logical basis for all your answers, and you will usually get the right answers. When time is winding down, and you scan back to previous work, you need to be able to read it. Don't let misreading a digit keep you from your goal. Why not push to the finish? Sometimes kids walk out of the AIME an hour early. Don't do that. If you re-energise yourself, and give yourself another boost of confidence, you can keep going. A mathlete in this sense is not unlike an athlete, with the test before you as an adversary. Don't give that piece of paper a fighting chance. You know there has to be a way to get every question, and this information alone should help you when tackling problems where you don't even know where to start. Just because you've never qualified for the USAMO doesn't mean this can't be the year. Just because you've never won the school title for the AMC doesn't mean you shouldn't be the kid who does. Someone has to do it every year and you have just as much chance as the kid last year. If you are intimidated by someone who you judge to be better than you, you are just putting another distraction on your shoulders you don't need. Never look over to see if they have already turned the page when you are still on the first question; you don't need to think about that because you only need to worry about what you can do. Turn in the sheet and get on with life. Hopefully, you saw some problems that interested you. Worry about your score when you get it––don't waste time worrying about it now. Chances are, your training and focus paid off.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Make sure you bring everything you need on test day and have it ready well beforehand. When you get into the test, pump yourself up. Once you get the test, stay calm. Bring a watch and time the test yourself. Make sure you have enough scrap paper. OK, the test is in front of you and the stage is set. Open the test book, and get started. If you come across a question you can't do, give it one more thought. There will always (well, almost always) be problems you can't solve. Write clearly. If you feel yourself slowing down, or getting tired, or even giving up, ask yourself this - How many more chances will I get? Don't be afraid of success. When it's all over, and you've checked over one last time, it's time to let go.

Sometimes in order to accomplish what feels like a monumental task, you have to start small. For now, just go and turn on the shower. Get the water nice and warm and think about how good it would feel to climb inside. You'll probably find it much easier to shower once you're actually in the bathroom and have everything all ready to go.  The hardest part often lies in simply taking the first step. Remember, the only thing holding you back is lethargy. With that out of the way, nothing can stop you. At this point, it will probably feel silly to have gone to all that trouble just to shut off the water and put your clothes back on. Since you're already in position, and it requires just as much effort to get dressed again, you might as well go ahead and hop in the shower. When you're lounging comfortably on the couch, the list of things you need to do to successfully bathe can seem overwhelming. Instead of trying to focus on lots of details at once, move things along a little at a time. If you find that you lack the motivation to shower, it can be helpful to keep in mind what happens when you don't bathe regularly. Dirt, oil and dead cells can build up on your skin, making you feel grimy and uncomfortable. If you go too long, this can cause problems like itching, clogged pores and skin infections. After a while, you can start to smell, as well, which can be a source of social embarrassment.  It can be bad for you to go too long without a bath or shower. Skin conditions like acne, dermatitis and chronic body odor can develop, making you look and feel unhealthy.  There's no need to shower every day. In fact, dermatologists now believe that it's actually better for you to only shower a few times a week. This may make dealing with the task easier for you.
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One-sentence summary --
Turn on the water. Once you've made it to the bathroom and got the shower running, strip down and see how you feel. Remind yourself why you need to shower.