Do you know the feeling? You have been studying for ages for your English midterm, but when it’s the test day, you feel like you know nothing. As you get your hands on the test, your heartbeat reaches dangerous levels while your stomach seems to be in knots. If you know all these typical signs of exam and test anxiety better than anyone else, make sure to keep on reading. We have some tips on how to manage test anxiety to get the desired grades and test scores.
Why Do We Feel Test or Exam Anxiety?
It is important to ponder over the nature of your anxiety in order to figure out how to combat fears in the best manner possible. Who knows, perhaps, you will have to change something in your way of thinking or actual behavior in order to handle this or that situation. We have listed some of the most obvious reasons below. At the same time, you are welcome to consider yours as well.
Well-Founded Fears:
- I’m going to fail this test. As a result, I will have to repeat this year. Here’s an answer to your realistic fears: Approach your professor or dean to discuss your doubts. They’re there to help you find the way out of any situation.
- I’m not ready for the exam/test. Here’s what we have to say about your fears: Re-consider your time management skills and find out whether you’re a perfectionist or not.
Unproven Fears:
- I thought my knowledge was strong but I’m not sure anymore. Here’s the thing: All college and university students tend to think the same at some point. There’s nothing wrong with it.
- My instructor, family, and friends will think I’m dumb. Keep in mind that at this stage of your academic journey, everybody is smart, and the way you perform in class doesn’t separate you from the most successful students. When your college studies are over, your performance at work will matter most. That is why you will have a bunch of chances to show what you can.
Tips to Manage Test Anxiety
Now that you can tell what the nature of your fears is, make sure to exert every effort in order to battle test or exam anxiety like a pro. Use the tips and tricks given below.
1. Get Enough Sleep at Night
Cramming never helps when it comes to dealing with test anxiety. What is more, pulling an all-nighter will definitely exacerbate your nervous system. If you get an inadequate amount of sleep, you won’t be able to write a simple essay or do some research for a term paper, not to mention get ready for a test. It’s no doubt that your personality may need more or less sleep at night; however, it’s best to sleep for 8-9 hours per night. Listen to your inner self to see how much time you need to sleep to feel refreshed and motivated for the exam.
2. Be Positive
Think about your future trip to Paris. Bring a picture of how you walk in the old streets and enjoy croissants. Think about your favourite places that you like to visit with friends or come up with the so-called mantra, “I did my best to get ready for the test, so I will write my essay with ease.” Recite this morale-boosting mantra before the test or exam starts.
3. Mind Your Time
Finding out that you have no time to cope with the rest of the test questions will most likely make you freeze, not being able to cope with anything during the final minutes. That is why it is important to scope out the whole process before you begin to work on your test. Check each section in order to get a better idea of how much time you will have to spend on each.
4. Just…Start
When you stare at the blank page, you may feel even more anxious. That is why it is important to start your work straight away. When you’re done with the directions, begin to outline the essay answer without any delay. As an alternative, look for the questions that you’re sure you can ace to get more confident about your test success. Later, you will be able to get back to each question and fix things, if needed.
5. Don’t Look at Others
Do you see the other students writing their essays with the speed of light? Are you done with an introductory paragraph only? Do not pay attention to what someone else is doing at the moment. It doesn’t matter. Your task is to complete your essay so that it doesn’t look cheap. That is why you have to work at your own pace and never care about what your peers are busy with at the moment.
6. Stop Being a Perfectionist
It’s no doubt that as a high school student, you were a real perfectionist knowing that you can succeed in any test or exam. That is why changing your perfectionism-based state of mind can be hard. The reality is that you can’t learn everything in college. Don’t even try to absorb every other detail. Instead, make sure to concentrate on the most crucial concepts that you know you will need to recall during the exam or test.
To limit your perfectionism, it is important to tell yourself that perfection does not exist. Tell yourself that you will work hard and do your best during the test but don’t punish yourself if you find out later that you made three typos in the test.
