Why You Get Anxious Before a Test and How to Deal with Test Anxiety
You know that Eminem song? “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, there's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti”. Yeah. That was me before a test … well, without the second sentence. 😅
Even with all the hard studying I would do, I still had a hard time remembering everything. If this sounds familiar, then don’t worry! You’re in safe company. In this blog post, I’ll explain what test anxiety is and what you can do to combat it.
What is Test Anxiety?
While many people get nervous before a test, test anxiety isn’t just nerves! Test anxiety is actually a type of performance anxiety, and it can even cause physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat, headache, or nausea. These are in addition to symptoms like racing thoughts, and the inability to concentrate, even while trying to study for said test.
The good news is that test anxiety is common and we have three tips to share that will help you combat this common student experience!
How to Deal with Test Anxiety
Set Goals (2 crappy pages rule)
When the clock is ticking, a blank A4 page is staring you right in the face and you feel your mind going off. It can be very overwhelming. You might even find yourself thinking where do I even begin?
To combat this feeling, try planning hourly or daily goals for yourself. If writer’s block is getting in the way of you finishing a paper, try Tim Ferriss’ ‘2 Crappy Pages’ rule. Two pages can help you get started, and might spark inspiration. The focus in this exercise is making your work specific and digestible.
2. Get enough sleep
Despite wanting to stay up late to study, studies show that adequate amounts of sleep is essential for students to be able to solve challenging problems effectively.
So, staying up late to study may actually hurt your exam score.
3. Breathe
Breathing deeply is vital to our mind and body - science supports this. In fact, a study from the The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education shows that students who participated in a yoga and meditation program once a week felt less stress and anxiety.
Remember that some exam stress or anxiety is human and instead of resisting it, acknowledge it as your body reminding you to breathe.
Last thing to remember: don’t be too hard on yourself. At the end of the day, all you can do is study your best and everything else is out of your control. Here is a kind reminder that your academic results (like your midterm grade) are not your only measure of success.
Final Thoughts on Test Anxiety
We hope you found these test anxiety tips helpful and wish you good luck!
Feeling like you’ve hit a wall and you need help tearing it down? Reach out to one of our tutors for help! Remember: we’ve always got your back. 💪🏾