As it turns out, all the studying in the world will not keep
you from vibrating out of your seat if test anxiety turns you into a wind-up
toy that never shuts down. If this sounds like you, then read on to find some
tips that might help get you through your next exam.
If you are anything like me, you have already Google
searched advice on how to deal with test anxiety. I’m not going to lie—the
advice on the internet is BAD
(pretend I just said that while groaning). Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it
works great for some people. But I would be willing to bet it is just
aggravating to most.
Before I talk about some really effective test taking tips, I
want to discuss what test anxiety is physically and some possible triggers. My
opinion is the more you understand what it is, the easier it will be to deal
with it.
Everything in our bodies is controlled either by nerves or
hormones. Anxiety can be triggered by improper nerve and hormone function. In
the nervous system, low Serotonin can cause both anxiety and depression (which
is a double edge sword if you ask me because it’s bad enough to be anxious
about a test—but now you are going to be sad about it too). So how do we fix
this? “It's possible that eating foods high
in tryptophan with a healthy serving of carbohydrates can have an effect on
your serotonin levels.”
Guys I can’t make this stuff up. This quote came from http://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/foods-that-could-boost-your-serotonin.
So, if you want less anxiety—eat more turkey and mashed potatoes. Even try
eating something with carbs about an hour before your test. It may not be good
for watching weight, but that can be worried about after your test.
This actually makes sense because the hormone responsible
for stress is Cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone produced by your Adrenal glands
(Kidneys) and helps to increase blood sugar when it is low in your body. I
won’t get into the details of how it does this exactly, but you should
understand that when your body goes into Fight or Flight (anxiety), your body
releases cortisol in order to have extra blood sugar ready in order to
‘survive.’ But if there is excess sugar in your blood already, the cortisol
should not be released (so long as there is not an underlying hormone imbalance
problem to begin with). Keeping cortisol in check is also done by exercising.
Exercise will use up extra sugar and help to relax/exhaust nerves and muscles.
This also helps bring you out of fight or flight.
Fight or Flight will cause your heart rate to increase,
breathing to increase, blood vessels to constrict, and muscles to tighten. So
it would be good to stretch your body and take deep, long, slow breaths before
a test; or if you are allowed, get up—step back—and stretch during your test.
Let your instructor know that you have an anxiety problem and ask if that would
be ok. This would also give you an opportunity to regroup your thoughts. You can
certainly close your eyes for a moment and take some long, slow breaths while
you are still at your seat during a test. Your heart rate can be slowed by
breathing also. If you intentionally slow your breathing and relax you muscles,
your heart rate will slow and relax too. If getting up during a test is not an
option, you can clench and unclench different muscles to help them to relax. I
usually end up clenching and unclenching my butt-cheeks. I promise, no one will
notice you do it. But (no pun intended), to get rid of nervousness, you need to
smile with all 4 cheeks (this concept comes from horse trainer Pat Parelli).
I want to take a moment to discuss possible triggers and how
to avoid them. This may or may not apply to the test anxiety you deal with, but
most anxiety comes from the fear of failure. I think most students, who study
at all, know their material. Any test I have ever failed, I knew that I did not
know the material and I wasn’t worried about doing well. I was confident I was
going to fail that test, just like I am confident when I am prepared that I
will do well. Lack of confidence and fear of failure will feed off one another.
It would be easy for me to sit here and tell you “I know you can do it, just be
confident in yourself.” But not only would that be annoying, it would not do a
dang thing for you. Confidence has to be learned the old fashioned way. Start
out thinking about all the things you are good at, especially the things you
really enjoy doing. Be proud of the things you are good at. Don’t think you are
good at anything? You’re making an effort—be proud of that because it is harder
to try than to give up and walk away. You get a 50% on a test? Be proud of the
50% you got right. College is hard. You are not alone. Do not give up. We want
to help you. If you are really struggling in a class, make an appointment with
your instructor—that’s what office hours are for.
I hope the beginning of this blog gave you a little insight,
but now I am going to list some of the best test taking tips I have ever
learned.
Test Taking Tips:
1.
TAKE YOUR TIME!!! If you have an hour to take
the test, use the whole hour. If you rush, you will read something wrong. Some
questions will have one word that makes the difference between answers. Go slow
and you will be sure to catch it.
2.
TAKE EVERY TEST TWICE. Sound redundant? It is.
BUT, this is how you will catch any mistakes you made. The second time I take a
test, I take it as if I hadn’t taken it at all, and I check to see if my
answers match up. This is another way to take up the entire time.
3.
WRITE ON YOUR TEST!!! This is probably the most
liberating thing I have ever learned to do. Circle key words. Make a note of
questions that you are not sure about. Scratch out answers you know for sure
are incorrect. Sketch out visual aids or concept maps if that helps you. And if
you are not permitted to write on your test, use a piece of scratch paper. I
will actually write notes to myself and reason answers. If you are using a
piece of scrap paper, write down which questions you are not sure about so that
you can focus on them the second time you take the test.
4.
ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR WHERE THE TEST QUESTIONS
COME FROM. This is not out of line. Most instructors do not have an issue
letting you know how they come up with their test questions. They really want
you to do well. Then, study from the material the test comes from instead of
trying to study everything. Also be sure to listen during lecture for phrases
like: “you need to know this.” Guaranteed, whatever is being talked about at
that time will be on the test.
5.
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR LEARNING STYLE IS!!! I do
not learn well by reading, so I do not reread my notes or chapters in order to
study. I am a visual learner, so anyway I can appeal to this, the better I know
the material. When you find something that works, stick with it. If you are
confident in what you know, anxiety will not be as big of an issue.
6.
Before
each test you should laugh histerically. Laughter is one of the best
stress busters. Take a break from studying and find something that makes you
laugh.
Check out the previous blog: How
to Deal with Your Child’s Meltdown when You’re in the Middle of Your Own for
information on identifying and dealing with stress. We are all rooting for you!
Please leave your questions and feedback in the comment section so that we can
recommend specific advice for you. Also, check back on this site for
announcements for a Movie Night, a Video Game Competition, and Pre-Finals
Comedy Break.
Good Luck!!!
