If you’re like me, the prospect of an exam or quiz is horrifying. It’s not like I don’t pay attention in class, it’s just the uncertainty of it all, and how no matter how prepared I feel, there’s always that one question that will throw me off. Test anxiety is something that affects me, and if it affects you too, these tips may help you move past the stress to be more efficient in preparing for the exam!
- Prepare in Advance
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I know, I know. It sucks. When it feels like you have a break, you never really want to fill that time up with extra work. But trust me, it makes everything better in the long run. Usually, I’m that person that leaves studying until up to the last minute, sure that the memorization will stick better if I start it closer to exam time. News Flash! That doesn’t really work. Sure, I’ll do okay on exams, but when the final comes I have to study that section much harder than the sections that I actually focused on. With a heavier courseload this year, I’ve been starting my work earlier, and honestly, it makes the night before the exam a lot easier and lets me rest up to be ready to knock that exam out of the park the next day.
- Talk to People
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People are amazing resources. It can be scary to talk to your professor about topics, so going to some friends in your class before walking into office hours can be really helpful. It’s important to be able to get out of your own head before an exam, so making study groups and working on homework with people will help you reset and realize that what you don’t know is okay! School is hard. Talking to people makes it better.
- Stay Motivated
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This is the most important tip. Stay motivated! If your motivation for studying is gone, take a quick break. If you’re studying in advance, go get a meal with your friends and stop thinking about it for an hour or two so when you come back to it, you’re more willing to give it your full effort. When you’re out, reviewing in your head can go a long way, too. Try to run through the material you learned and figure out where the holes are in the knowledge you just picked up so your next study session can be more productive.
Overall, keeping in mind the depth of each exam is important. Grades absolutely do not define you! Sometimes, that’s hard to keep in mind, especially in the competitive environment that is college. But really, they don’t. Keeping this in mind while you study can help you really learn instead of simply memorizing. This kind of studying is way more effective than any other type, and can help you feel more confident in yourself and in your studying methods.