Test Anxiety
Most individuals will experience some form of test anxiety when they take an important examination. This anxiety can present itself in physical symptoms like nausea or sweaty palms, or in emotional symptoms like panic and irritability. Often, individuals will become nervous long before the exam date because they feel overwhelmed by the amount of material they must master. The first step in defeating this anxiety is realizing that it is a perfectly natural reaction, and one that can be minimized. In order to regain control over anxiety, one should break the exam content into smaller sections. It will seem much easier to master a series of small subjects than to tackle a huge subject all at once.
Test-takers should make a study schedule weeks or months ahead of the exam, and give themselves a small amount to learn each period. When the examination day finally arrives, anxiety will be reduced by the feeling of preparedness. Of course, being fully prepared for an exam does not mean that one will not experience some jitters when it comes time to prove one’s knowledge. This anxiety can be diminished in a few easy ways. First, try to avoid having any excessively stimulating foods, such as those containing caffeine or sugar, on the day of the exam. Getting a good night’s sleep and a little bit of exercise will refresh one’s brain and allow for easy recall of the learned material. During the exam, breathe deeply and sit in a comfortable position. On exams where this is possible, many people find comfort in going through and answering all of the obvious questions before tackling the more difficult ones.
