“I literally cried after the exam,” my study partner exasperated the following morning on a phone call. “What happened?” I asked. “It was such a bad day today at work. There were so many things going wrong. Then, I suddenly became so worried and anxious about the test that I couldn’t think. The last essay question I just drew a blank. I couldn’t think at all. And, we went over it so I don’t know what happened.”
The American College Health Association (ACHA) 2015 National College Health Assessment survey, which reported that nearly one in six college students (15.8 percent) had been diagnosed with, or treated for, anxiety.
The same survey found that 21.9 percent of students said that within the last 12 months, anxiety had affected their academic performance, defined as receiving a lower grade on an exam or important project, receiving an incomplete, or dropping a course.
I asked my mom if I was cut out for school. Am I too old? She asked with doubt. Her mom said “you’ve been out of school for like 15 years.”
“Mary,” I told her, “just because you draw a blank in the test doesn’t mean that you’re not cut out for school. It just means you forgot, but that doesn’t mean it’s an excuse that you’re too old for school.” She laughed realizing how she amplified the situation. “I know, I know.”
I told her I was in the same position with her the first exam and felt utterly knocked to the floor because I had studied so hard. My ego was shot and I began the same sort of spinning.
“Should I even continue? Will my dreams of graduating and getting a good job end because I get a bad grade in the class? I started catastrophizing everything.
I always hated how people said anxiety is good for you. What in God’s name does that really mean? Of course when we are physically frightened by a car running at you or a lion. But what about our minds? Our minds give us these almost more nightmarish scenarios causing anxiety.
Are there any tips out there beyond the breathing and mindfulness?
1) One practical tip I found useful was to think about your pinky toes and stay very still in the beginning of the test. Your mind doesn’t flutter around thinking about the sounds in the room (coughing, pencil tapping, the 2nd hand clock).
2) Use your hand or the scantron to cover the rest of the question so you can focus on the question. Sometimes, my mind wants to answer everything as fast as possible because of the time. When I cover the questions, I can clearly see only one and answer one at a time.
3) Depending on who you are, before the test, try eating something small and sugary to give your brain the power to stay alert during the test. This doesn’t necessarily work for the more anxious person as they will become more anxious but for those who find themselves with focusing issues may want to try this.
4) Watch a funny YouTube video before the test. Laughter eases the mind, and relives anxiety. You’ll feel more happy before taking a test to help alleviate the thoughts that run through your mind.
5) If you draw a blank during an essay test, try going through the test to see if there are any key words that will ignite your memory to answer the question. Sometimes, the professor may have included answers from one question that can be applied to others.
6) Know yourself and avoid talking to others before the test especially if this confuses you and the hard studying you’ve done before.
7) Give a mantra to yourself like “you can do this” or “I feel good” or “I’m excited.” Sometimes if you believe it, you can increase your chances of doing better on the test..
8) Watch a movie or mindless TV after the test to decompress, and not think about answers or test questions The “I should have” will not change the after the fact you took the test.
References
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