With all your hard work behind you, you walk into the exam room, take a seat, flip to the first page of the exam… and your mind becomes a blank slate.
You’ve spent hours and hours cramming for that daunting exam, studying until it feels like your brain can’t take in any more information. With all your hard work behind you, you walk into the exam room, take a seat, flip to the first page of the exam… and your mind becomes a blank slate. The concepts and vocabulary that you thought you had drilled into your head the night before are simply nonexistent. Any coherent thought slips right through your grasp; your palms start to sweat and the cold anxiety washes over your body. Many students across the globe experience this phenomenon—it’s called Test Anxiety.
It is far more effective to study in small chunks over time than to cram all the information in a few days before your exam.
According to a 2010 study featured in the journal Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, Test Anxiety can affect from 10 to 40 percent of all students in grades K-12. It is important to not let the symptoms of test anxiety get in the way of achieving your highest academic goals; intense apprehension before a big exam can be natural. Fortunately, there are many ways that students can manage their test anxiety and I am going to detail four different strategies to ensure you’re bringing your best to the exam room.
- Fuel your brain! Your brain needs fuel and sleep in order to properly function. On the day of the exam, eat foods that are high in protein, omega-3s, complex carbohydrates and stay hydrated! Omega-3s are a great way to maintain concentration, general alertness and brain capacity and can be found in many types of fish (i.e. wild Alaskan salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, etc.) or in flax seeds. Complex carbohydrates will give your brain the fuel it needs without eliciting a sugar crash, so make sure to consume foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and beans or legumes. Protein is important for sustained energy and can be incorporated in your diet through lean meats, eggs or milk.
- Get enough sleep! Ensure that you’re getting at least seven hours of sleep the two nights before your exam. Getting a good night’s sleep before your exam can help you achieve scores “nearly 10% higher than those of students who got less sleep.” It is not going to benefit you to pull an all-nighter to cram the night before an exam. By the time the exam rolls around, you’ll be sleep-deprived and the information you tried forcing into your brain will be jumbled and foggy. Repeat: do not sacrifice sleep for studying the night before an exam!
- Learn relaxation techniques. If your brain starts panicking once you sit down for that exam, there are quite a few techniques that can help calm your mind and body so you can refocus your attention back to the exam. First, close your eyes and do a few cycles of deep breathing—breathe in slowly to the count of seven, exhale slowly to the count of seven. Repeat until your body feels more relaxed, typically one to three minutes. State positive affirmations to yourself, for example “I have studied diligently, and I am capable of passing this exam,” and then begin the exam. This process should take around one minute to complete.
- Establish a consistent study routine. You will feel more confident if you have put the necessary work in. It is far more effective to study in small chunks over time than to cram all the information in a few days before your exam. Create a schedule that allows you to consistently study at the same place and at the same time; this will establish a routine that will make you more confident in your abilities over time.
Don’t expect to cure your test anxiety overnight; long-term implementation of these strategies will lead to a healthier mind and body as well as more confidence in your test-taking abilities. Testing anxiety also goes hand-in-hand with performance anxiety and perfectionism. If your productivity and motivation are at a stand-still because you’re nervous about the final outcome not meeting your standards, you may be struggling with perfectionist habits. If you are interested in learning strategies to curb your perfectionism and become more productive, check out our article “Good is Better Than Perfect.”
By Brianna Harstad
AiT Contributor