Everyone feels nervous when they are asked to give a test. But there are some who just canât overcome the anxiety level. Read the tips given below to find out how you can effectively deal with test anxiety.
Donât study hard, study smart
Follow a good regular study pattern. Try to use active study skills, which give you an opportunity to interact with the material you need to remember using multiple senses. Passive studies are what you need to concentrate on in class, where you listen to lectures, read the book or notes provided. It may sound tedious and boring. However, if you add a fun element to it, itâs not that bad at all. Try to stay active by jotting pointer and taking down questions while reading, which will later help you while revising in case you are stuck. Some methods, which prove helpful while studying, are as follows:
1. Create mind maps of notes you read
2. Draw pictures of new concepts you learn, and
3. Organize information in tabular forms
Anxiety may keep you off from studying because you dread failure. Conquer the avoidance by setting a timetable. Set a manageable schedule, which you can follow it regularly. Assign daily study tasks to yourself to study effectively chapter by chapter each and every day. Try out social learning it helps reduce thoughts of isolation and helplessness.
Take adequate time for sleep
Depriving yourself from sleep is nothing but a hideous way of harming yourself. You do not need to stay up night after night to get over your syllabus. Lack of sleep will make you less efficient and adds on to depression and anxiety. Plan your schedule well, donât wait for the entire syllabus to get piled up for you to finish it up two days before the big paper arrives. Start researching the very day a task is assigned to you. Study new matter in short sessions and start studying with concentration at least a week prior to your big exam. Donât overburden yourself. Take short breaks to relax your mind, in the evening do something peaceful and relaxing, and then crash into your bed for a peaceful sleep.
Focus on the weak areas
Take advantage of the sample questions given to you by your professor. While you are preparing for your test a week before the big exam, use these questions. On the basis of your result, work hard on the content you are weak at. In case your professor does not provide you with any sample questions, use textbook queries and mock some of your own to test yourself. Make use of your class notes to foresee what kind of questions your professor might call attention to. If conducting a group study, then question one another. If possible, seek help from your professors during their office hours. In class take down question of matter you require in depth explanation for and during your professor’s office hours request them for one on one tutoring.
Manage stress
Try taking deep breathing exercise when anxiety builds up while giving your exam. Perform it for 2-3 times, it will help you stay relaxed. Read your questions carefully before answering any of them. Often you may find clues in the questions or instructions given in the paper. When you feel you have read it through and are ready to begin, start with the question, of which answers you are sure of and answer those quickly. Read through the harder questions slowly, simultaneously looking for clues which can help you answer. If you are completely confident on most of the questions, donât let hard one bother you. Do the best on the ones you already know.
Seek help
If anxiety doesnât slow down and is rigorously building up, then seek help from people around you. Be at home or school or campus. Try to find out if there is any tutoring or learning centre around. This may help you in fixing extra study time and with some learning centreâs providing workshops on controlling anxiety, it is an added bonus. Check if there is a student health centre providing counselling services with experienced counselor to help you with you test anxiety problem. Good counselors will advice you accurately if short term counselling will work for you, or you require medical hypnosis or anti anxiety medications.
