Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam
However, when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem.
General preparation/building confidence:
Review your personal situation and skills
Academic counselors can help you in these areas, or refer to our Guides on the
topic:
- Developing good
study habits and strategies (a
link to our directory)
-
Managing time
(dealing with procrastination, distractions, laziness)
- Organizing material to be studied and learned
Take a step by step approach to build a strategy and not get overwhelmed
- Outside pressures
success/failure consequences (grades, graduation), peer pressure,
competitiveness, etc.
- Reviewing your past performance on tests
to improve and learn from experience
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Test preparation to reduce anxiety:
- Approach the exam with confidence:
Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: vizualization,
logic, talking to your self, practice, team work, journaling, etc.
View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive
a reward for the studying you've done
- Be prepared!
Learn your material thoroughly and organize what materials you will need
for the test. Use a checklist
- Choose a comfortable location for taking the test
with good lighting and minimal distractions
- Allow yourself plenty of time,
especially to do things you need to do before the test and still get
there a little early
- Avoid thinking you need to cram just before
- Strive for a relaxed state of concentration
Avoid speaking with any fellow students who have not prepared, who express
negativity, who will distract your preparation
- A program of exercise
is said to sharpen the mind
- 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 go on
- If you're taking an essay test
and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may
trigger the answer in your mind
- Don't panic
when students start handing in their papers. There's no reward for being the
first done
If you find yourself tensing and getting anxious during the test
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