Finals week is approaching faster than I could have ever imagined. It feels like just yesterday I moved into my dorm and went to my first college class. Many people, if not everyone, dread finals week, and for a good reason: it’s incredibly stressful! There’s an immense pressure to succeed; maybe you’re trying to salvage a grade that isn’t as high as you wanted or you’re trying to maintain that A+ you’ve attained. Either way, finals week is around the corner and test anxiety is lurking with it.
Test Anxiety is a psychological condition in which a test setting induces panic and anxiety symptoms before, during and/or after an examination or quiz. Around 16-20% of students regularly experience high test anxiety, while 18% of students have moderately-high test anxiety. It’s widely believed through studies that test anxiety has a negative effect on test scores because students will blank or freeze up when they get the test and lose all the information they studied before. Unfortunately, I can attest to this experience. During my SATs I would be riddled with fear that I wouldn’t do well. So much so that I couldn’t remember any of the strategies or abilities to do well on the test. I was tutored by two teachers every week for almost two years and repeatedly studied but to no avail. I would succeed on the practice tests they gave me but when it came time to sit in that bleak, high school classroom at 8 a.m., I froze. That’s why finals this year has me on edge as I don’t want a repeat experience of every SAT I ever had to take (I took the SAT seven times to be exact and the ACT twice).
Luckily, I have some tips and tricks that I learned through my Freshman Interest Group (FIG) and the Leach Center’s Stress Buster event that can help combat those feelings of pre-test anxiety so you don’t have an attack during the exam itself.
1. Affirmation Cards/Cubes
Positive affirmations are a fun way to remind yourself how to take care of yourself while studying. The absurd amount of time you spend studying needs to be broken up into chunks to ensure that your brain is getting the rest it needs to process information. During your five to ten-minute study breaks, write down and read cards or affirmation cubes that can remind you how awesome you are. For example, some cards/cubes can say things like “Dance break,” “You are powerful,” “Call a friend,” or “Remember that A you got on that test?! You can do it!” These affirmations will help boost your mood and confidence during the season that tends to be way too stressful.
Courtesy: @zendoway on Instagram
2. Brain Food
Foods such as blueberries, dark chocolate, nuts, broccoli and so many others have been proven to improve brain power, especially memory. Blueberries are a superfood because they help improve connections between brain cells which is key in forming and retaining memories. Broccoli, while rather nasty tasting, is densely packed with a type of fat that is found in brain cells which also improves short-term memory. Try finding ways to input these foods into your diet before and during finals week to get ahead of those cramming sessions and help your brain hold all that information.
Courtesy: Jane’s Healthy Kitchen
3. Play with Puppies
While cliché, playing with puppies has been found to increase oxytocin, the bonding chemical, in students. Finding a therapy dog on campus or interacting with your own pup if you have one is a sure-fire way to reduce anxiety. I recently went to a de-stressing event on campus where therapy dogs were provided to calm us down and give us a nice study break. I felt so relaxed and joyful when the puppies interacted with me and the effects lasted throughout the day. When I returned to studying afterward, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle whatever I needed to do.
Courtesy: The Conversation
4. Exercise
Getting up and moving, whether it’s in the middle of your room or taking a quick trip to the gym, is crucial for the process of studying. Research shows that regular exercise stimulates the brain. After exercising, your endorphins are coursing through your body causing you to become better at prioritizing, paying attention, giving you more energy and providing an elated mood/sense of accomplishment. As Forbes says in an article on exercise and studying, “your brain remembers more when your body is active.” In between chunks of studying, try taking a walk or jog, doing yoga or pumping iron. Whatever gets your body moving and your brain working.
Courtesy: @jp_photography on Unsplash
These tips and tricks work best about a week or two before finals to help adjust yourself into a positive mindset, but don’t forget to also use them during finals week itself! Sprinkling these helpful tips into your routine even on a regular basis will also improve your quality of life and reduce some general anxiety many people deal with on a day to day basis. For me personally, just partaking in these small activities regularly has helped improve my mood and decreased my anxiety a whole lot. Good luck on finals, and don’t “psych” yourself out! You got this!
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