With finals week just around the corner, it can be hard to sit down and study, especially if the course is difficult or not particularly interesting to you. I know I struggle around this time, year after year, because of test anxiety. It’s the panic I get when I realize I’ve got a big exam coming and I am not ready. Not at all. Even if I’ve done just fine through the course, I still freak out when I hear those words: final exam. But I can’t let it get the best of me; and if you’ve got test anxiety, neither can you. So here are some tips to help you (and me) get through this stressful time!
1. Plan it out
Use a planner. Make a schedule. Put reminders on your phone. Make a plan so you can get through all the information with plenty of time left to review, if you need to. That way you get it all done without overloading yourself on any given day.
2. Take baby steps and plenty of time
It’s okay to break up the information into chunks that work for you. Take it one page at a time, if you have to! Just make sure that you have enough time to review everything so you’re prepared.
3. Give yourself a break
After each of those chunks, go for a walk or get something to eat. Do something that gives your brain a chance to relax. It’s a muscle, too, which means it needs to rest after working. You’re not going to effectively learn anything if you’re that tired.
4. Make it enjoyable
Turn the material into a game! Have someone quiz you and for every 3 questions you get right, you get a piece of candy. Or it could be a workout: get a question wrong and do 10 pushups. It can be with a friend or by yourself. BUT: it shouldn’t be so much fun that you get distracted.
5. Do what works for you
You don’t have to study like everybody else studies. If you have a system that works for you, then work that system! Do whatever it’s going to take for you to focus and get the grade you want. If that means locking yourself in the library without your phone for 8 hours, then go for it.
6. Stay focused
All of these breaks and games are great if they’re helping you. But again, don’t let them take away from the actual point: to study and be ready for your test so you’re not anxious. There are tons of apps that will lock you out of social media and games. Turn your phone off or put it on “do not disturb”. Sit at an individual desk in the library instead of inviting a friend.
7. Take your time through the test
It doesn’t matter if the girl two rows over is done with her exam after 30 minutes. She may have just given up and walked out; you don’t know. Just focus on your own test, and read through everything carefully. Most of the mistakes on an exam are usually careless, which you can avoid by just taking your time.
8. Reward yourself after the test
Go do something fun! You’ve studied and you took your time through the test. You focused as much as you could. Now you can enjoy yourself and not worry about the results because you were prepared :)
9. Have a relaxation technique you can do anywhere
It can be anything, just something small and non-disruptive so you can do it during your exam. A few small deep breaths or closing your eyes and going to your happy place is more than enough. Having a way to center yourself and get refocused can stop you from letting your anxiety spiral and then blanking on everything for which you studied so hard.
10. Stay healthy
That means no all-nighters; no eight cups of coffee; no starving yourself; none of that. Eat right, drink coffee in moderation, and get a full night of sleep, especially right before the exam. The last thing you want to do is fall asleep in the middle of your test and not finish. Plus, by staying healthy, your brain can do its best work and help you get the score you want.
11. Be okay with a little anxiety
It sounds weird, but it’s true. A little anxiety is not going to hurt anyone. It’ll keep you on your toes and make sure you keep working because you don’t want to get a bad score. A little bit of anxiety does not equal a panic attack or blanking on a test, I promise. A little bit is normal.