Studying to Reduce Test Anxiety

Take a deep breath and look at the calendar. This is the most difficult step, because it forces you to confront the test date and count the days or weeks remaining. But this step is essential for your study plan. So go ahead, pull out that calendar and circle the test date in red marker. Let yourself feel the panic rising - is your heart racing yet? Now push the anxiety aside and assess how much time you have before the test. Do you have days or weeks? Take heart, because every one of those days or weeks is a chance for you to prepare.

Make a study plan. When you know how much time you have before the exam, sit down with a pencil and paper and come up with a study plan that works for you. If you only have several days before the exam, plan to study at least several hours a day or more for each of the remaining days. If you have several weeks, plan for an hour a day or several hours a couple of times a week. Do not plan to stay up all night before the exam - you will need your rest.

Use a study guide. Those of us with test anxiety often don't know where to start, especially with exams that cover a wide amount of material. To keep from running around like a chicken with its head cut off, you should check out a study guide made specifically for your particular test. A study guide will provide practice questions and a sample test that could help you to pinpoint your weak areas and use your study time more effectively.

Then study! Now here's the kicker - once you've decided when and how to study, you must actually make yourself sit down with that guide during your scheduled study time. Don't procrastinate, because this will undoubtedly increase your anxiety as the test date comes closer. If you have time before the test, you can dramatically reduce your anxiety by using some of that time for studying.

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