Pale face, shivering hands, a tendency of nausea, cold palms – all of these were my symptoms before I had any exam. Oh! Also a bit of forgetfulness was also constantly there. As you can clearly understand, these were all because of my nervous breakdown due to online exam anxiety. Things went so bad after a point in time that I had to go through counseling sessions.
All that I learnt from those extended sessions were that it is absolutely in our hands to control our anxiety, beat the nervousness and boost our confidence. Although external motivations do work well, they are not always the best.
Though I learned it the harder way, you can learn the trick of doing it from the tips mentioned in the later sections of this blog.
But prior to that, it is important to find out where the problem lies. There are various reasons that can cause anxiety in a student before the exam. Not that it is the same for everybody, but for most students, these factors remain the same. At least you can say that all students who face this tremendous nervous breakdown during exams have a few of these factors working. So before building your weapons and plotting a plan, get to know what is it that you are fighting against?
The Major Causes of Test Anxiety
If you aren’t yet aware, let me tell you that the anxiety you face before the exams are referred to as ‘Test Anxiety’. The reasons for this type of anxiety can be as follows –
- High Expectations
Expectations kill so many things in so many unwanted ways. Most people, especially students, try to live up to others’ expectations and ruin their peace of mind. It is also true that students often misread what is expected of them. It is a very natural tendency in students to feel that if they fail to live up to their parents and their teacher’s expectations, all their hard work goes in vain. And this leads to anxiety, nervousness and breakdowns.
There is no point in trying to live up to other’s expectations, and you should not be doing it. You set a goal for yourself and try to work hard for that. And also, understand that neither your parents nor your teachers nor any person close to you shall start unloving you for your low grades.
- The Fear of Failure
They keep saying ‘failures are pillars of success, but I seldom see people treat failures accordingly. Especially students, no, they never do. Also, to some extent, it is understandable that students often do not have the brain maturity to understand the depth of this proverb; hence, the fear of failing the exams gives them anxiety for days.
Okay, now try to understand that grades are just for assessment purposes. Failing marks in a subject doe not make you a failure as a person. But that does not mean that you go reluctant and not study. Give as much effort as you can give and wait for the results.
- Feeling Helpless
Constantly overthinking about the test, at some point, pushes students to consider and pre-assume their test outcomes. But predicting this is impossible. And not being able to do so, them feel helpless and which also leads to hypertension. Although compared to the other two reasons, this is not as common as them.
When you realise that you are about to overthink, give yourself a light slap on your face and command yourself to revise the syllabus.
On that note, here comes for you a few tips that will help you feel and be confident before the exams. Student have option to get cheap essay writing services UK at minimal cost from MyAssignmenthelp.com.
10 Tricks to Beat Test Anxiety
- Follow a schedule
You can prevent distractions from other activities by creating a study timetable. Thus, having a schedule will help you cover your syllabus sooner, and the earlier you complete the syllabus, the more time you will get to revise it, thus leaving no chance for low confidence to crawl in.
- Pick resources that work best for you
Flashcards, outlines, timelines, charts, and sample test questions are available options. When developing your study materials, keep your learning preferences in mind. Drawing diagrams or mind maps, for instance, can help you remember material better if you are a more visual learner.
- Know the type of test
You’ll need to prepare differently if your exam asks you to write an essay or respond to multiple-choice questions. You should be careful to be prepared for the type of test you will take. Remember that you’re unlikely to remember everything on your first attempt if your test requires you to recall a lot of content that you’ve memorised. Repetition helps with memorisation and recall.
- Read beyond your textbooks
Ask your instructor, parent, or tutor if you have any questions as you are studying. Knowing that you obtained the response to your query from the most dependable source will give you more self-assurance.
- Try group study sessions
Sharing class notes among members of a study group could be advantageous. It’s possible that different students took notes on various topics throughout the class; gathering and verifying this information from a variety of individuals might help guarantee you are familiar with the subject covered on the exam.
- Explain the concepts to others
Try to explain the concepts that will be covered in the test to them. To be able to describe a subject to someone who is unfamiliar with it, you must have a thorough comprehension of it yourself. If you can do this, you can also ace the test. But don’t get disheartened if you get stuck at some point. Make sure that you go through it once again.
- Use the self-affirmation technique
This tactic involves refocusing your thoughts to emphasis the positive and minimises the bad. For instance, remind yourself that you put in a lot of effort to study for this examination. Face your bad thoughts head-on. Give them a good fight and force them to leave your headspace for the longest time.
- Reassure yourself
Remind yourself that your success or failure in life does not depend on how you perform on this test. If you don’t pass, you can retake even a test. This is true for very significant exams, for example, competitive tests.
- Build confidence
If you can, try to imagine yourself sitting for the test and answering all the questions with full confidence as you study. Take a moment to picture receiving the desired grade for the test. Though it cannot take the place of preparation, visualising can boost your confidence and help you perform better.
- Try light exercises
Adrenaline is released by fear, preparing your body to handle danger. You may experience shaking, perspiration, and/or vertigo when your pulse rate and respiration quicken. You will be able to think more clearly and make you feel more secure if you can do anything to prevent these physical reactions. Try breathing exercises, stretching, and a brisk walk. These might calm your body as you want them.
Wrapping it up –
Always know that you are the best person to deal with your anxieties. Counsellors may guide you, but you have to make sure to follow them and strengthen yourself. This is not the last day in the world, and you always have scope for improvement. So, buckle yourself up and make sure to give your best.
About the author –
Amy Jonas, a former math teacher by profession, has recently joined the team of MyAssignmenthelp.com. She is very passionate about helping students in need. After retirement, Jonas spends his leisure hours helping students or uploading cooking videos on his social media profiles.
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