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Be Positive Expect to do well. And don't worry yourself into hysterics about how central this one test is to your future plans. Since when was any one test that important?
Avoid Distractions Don't give a second's thought to that individual sitting next to you who's writing twice as fast as you can think. She's probably writing an angry letter to the professor, blaming him for failing to inspire her.
Concentrate only on your own exam. Take a Break Pause whenever you need to break the tension. Close your eyes and practice head rolls or other relaxing exercise. Four Tips for Lasting Relief Start Early Begin preparing for midterms and finals the first day of class, disciplining yourself to master the material every step of the way. By the time the exams come, you'll be ready and confident. And confidence is one of the major buffers of stress.
Work on Memory Skills Try different ways to fix facts in your mind. Make up flash cards. The more mind tools you have to beat exam anxiety, the better you will perform. Beating exam anxiety is not about being perfect or about being fear-free.
10 Ways To Beat Test Anxiety. It's the morning of the Big Test. In an hour, you'll be taking an exam whose results will count 50 per cent of your final grade. Test anxiety has the power to derail weeks and months of hard work. Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practice these.
It's about adjusting and managing your anxiety and using it to fuel your performances. What Causes Exam Anxiety? How Stress Happens Your body's chemistry kicks in to get you ready to perform.
You may inaccurately misinterpret those feelings that you are "nervous". You mistakenly believe nerves to be "bad".
You then worry that this is proof that you are about to fail and embarrass yourself. You then worry about worrying. The negative cycle continues. You selectively choose further nervousness proof that you are panicking and about to fail. All these symptoms combine to ignite a full-blown attack of nerves.
You have a bad case of exam anxiety. Before your next exam, consider preparing your mind in these special ways: Practice your exam performance the morning of the "show".
Not the whole thing, but a bits and pieces. This is your warm-up and will help you begin to focus on the performance. Have some sort of pre-event routine that will prepare you mentally, emotionally and physically. Even NOT having a traditional routine is fine goofing off, not paying attention to the upcoming event as long as you realize that this works for you.
Custom planning is the key. You need a routine that will work specifically for you, not one that your test-taking buddies do. Experiment to find the one that meets your needs.
What are your needs? You want a routine that focuses you, helps you contain anxiety, energizes you with positive energy, psyches you up mentally so you expect to do well and helps you make a gradual transition into your performance state. The performance state is a special consciousness that is different from our normal day-to-day existence. We need to enter that state well before the exam begins.
Just arriving at the exam and then rushing on will not do it. A gradual leaving behind of our normal day and a slow immersion into our "testing head" is required.
Your pre-exam routine is very much a ritual. You need to have a series of steps in the routine that you do each time before a test. Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practice these techniques at home. The very act of concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings. If you need a confidence boost, try a session with an online tutor. From PhDs and Ivy Leaguers to doctors and teachers, our tutors are experts in their fields, and they know how to keep your anxiety at bay.
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The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. What is Test Anxiety? Test Anxiety Tips According to the ADAA , causes of test anxiety may include a fear of failure, lack of adequate prep time, or bad experiences taking tests in the past. Why The Princeton Review?