Test Anxiety

Have you ever freaked out before taking a major exam? This girl has. I’ve never been a big fan of standardized testing and probably never will be. When I started to prepare for the SAT and ACT for the first time in my high-school days (which wasn’t that long ago), I knew then that taking these two tests were going to be a huge determinant of my admission into higher education after high school. I had to come to a realization that this is how its going to work, and if I wasn’t a good test taker, then I was going to have to learn how to be. It wasn’t until I had to approach my first college exam that I knew that I had a bad case of “test anxiety”. I am certain that for some people this is a real feeling for them – no doctor’s diagnosis required.

If you think you have test anxiety, you may have thoughts like these:

• “What if I get this answer wrong?”

• “This probably isn’t right…”

• “Hurry up before someone finishes before you!”

• “This problem looks difficult…I’ll come back to it”

• “I know I’m prepared…but what if I forget everything?”

With test anxiety, the question that often comes up is “what if…?” and it shouldn’t be that way! Always, come prepared for an exam by any means necessary and remember: Positive. Vibes. Only.

It will be beneficial to you to remain as calm as can be before your first exam of the semester or when the final comes at the end. This will help you think clearly about a way to process and remember the content you’ve learned while studying or during class time over the weeks prior to the exam. Even if you don’t know the answer to a problem, remember to do the best you can, because you’re putting in the effort and that’s what’s most important.

Here are some tips on how to release the anxiety before you get started:

• Approach the exam with confidence: Use whatever strategies you can to ensure success: visualization, logic, talking to yourself, practice, group studying, journaling, etc. View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you’ve actually learned and an A (or B) is a reward for how well you’ve done.

• Be prepared! Learn your material thoroughly and organize the materials you will need for the test. Use a checklist, or flashcards. Remember procrastination or “cramming” will only get you so far.

• Choose a comfortable location to take the test (if its not administered in the classroom) You’ll want good lighting and minimal distractions.

• Allow yourself plenty of time, especially to do things you need to do before the test, like bring a calculator and/or bluebook (a scantron if offered), and you want to make sure you’re able to get there a little early

• Strive for a relaxed state of concentration. Avoid speaking with other students who have not prepared, who express negativity towards the class or exam, or who may distract you from preparation

• Get a good night's sleep the night before the exam.

• Don't go to the exam with an empty stomach. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress. Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices

• Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety. Avoid high sugar content (candy) which may aggravate your condition.

During the test:

• Read the directions carefully

• Budget your test taking time

• Change positions to help you relax

• If you go blank, skip the question and move on

Good Luck Testing!

#lifestyle #love