For many of us, testing can be a stressful, nerve-racking experience. Sometimes, it’s the moments leading up to taking a test that psyche us out the most. With finals approaching, it is important that you keep a level head and are well prepared, especially if you struggle with test anxiety and stress before and during a test. Here a few steps that should help you breathe a little easier on finals week if you follow them.
1. Prepare/ Study well for your exam.
This is probably one of the simplest, most obvious, and most important step towards ridding yourself of test anxiety. If you give yourself enough time— at least a week and a half ahead of your exam depending on how long or difficult the exam is— then you should feel less obligated to cram the night before the big test. Also study for at least an hour at a time, making sure you give your brain a break in between study sessions. Finally, find a method of studying that will keep you engaged throughout your session. Many people prefer making flashcards to simply reading highlighted notes. There are websites like Study Blue and Quizlet that are great places to go to make flashcards, tests, and even play memorization games using your notes. Both sites have mobile apps for both iPhone and Android. The night before your exams, make sure you review but don’t stress. If you’ve studied hard and prepared yourself, passing the test shouldn’t be a problem.
2. Remove yourself from situations/people that may cause you anxiety.
It is important that you identify and remove yourself from situations that may trigger anxiety. Whether it’s a study group full of anxious test takers like yourself, or even being left alone to your own thoughts of failure, remove yourself from the area and find something else to think about. Practice breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, or listen to soothing music to keep calm when you feel yourself becoming stressed. These techniques are not only a good way to combat test anxiety, but a great way to get rid of stress and anxiety in your daily life as well.
3. The big day: keep calm and carry on.
On the day of the test, it is important that you remember the techniques above and don’t let the thought of failure get to you. As stated earlier, if you’ve prepared yourself well, taking the test should be a breeze. It is important that you come to class prepared with the necessary utensils —pens, pencils, paper, scantrons, etc. — so that you can avoid feeling unprepared and panicking. Once you begin your test, you have to pace yourself. If there is a question that you are unsure about, make note of that question and come back to it later. If you come across a question that you were not prepared for, don’t panic. Think about the question and try to come up with the best possible answer. Again, if you notice that you are spending too much time on it, skip the question and come back to it. If you do find yourself beginning to panic, make sure that you pause, breathe and get yourself centered again before moving on. The calmer you are, the easier it will be to think clearly throughout the test.
Hopefully these steps will help you in the coming weeks with finals! If you’re in need of more studying and test taking tips, just watch the video below from Jill Cimorelli: