Do you feel stress or anxiety during exams can affect your grades? Many students experience that they will go blank when entering the exam hall. For me, exam time was stressful and performing well in this challenging situation impossible.
Test anxiety interferes with your studies and may block your performance! You might feel like your mind goes blank after studying hard for your exams. In addition, you may notice the sweaty palm and pity stomach. All these stressful conditions may refrain you from reflecting on your true abilities.
Lets take a look at how students may experience anxiety, how it impacts them and how to manage study related anxiety.
What Is Examination Anxiety?
In general, feeling nervous before an exam is normal. However, for some students, it becomes debilitating. Whether it’s your history exam or maths, test anxiety has the power to derail months of hard work.
Some common signs of exam anxiety include:
- Racing thoughts
- Inability to focus
- Trouble sleeping
- Headache
- Lack of motivation
- Upset stomach
- Nail-biting
- Teeth grinding
- Feeling moody
- Fast heartbeat
Although each student experience different symptoms with differing levels of intensity, the anxiety symptoms fall into the following categories:
- Physical – headache, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, rapid heartbeat
- Emotional – fear, disappointment, anger, depression
- Behavioural – pacing, avoiding, substance abuse
- Cognitive – racing thoughts, feeling of dread, difficulty in concentration
All these stress conditions reduce the ability to retain & recall information. Test anxiety is when students study at every given movement, go to extra study sessions, and peers for help.
Why Do Students Experience Exam Stress?
- Worry to fail
- Want to perform well
- Not feel prepared for exams
- Having less time to study
- Finding hard to understand the topic
- Feelings to compete with others
- Pressure from family to get good grades
- Financial issues
Overcoming Exam Anxiety:
How exactly can you overcome the stressful condition? If the exam season is approaches you, learn these strategies to cope with stress & anxiety.
Let us get started!
Avoid the perfectionist trap:
Do not expect to be perfect. Humans can make mistakes; that is okay. One thing that matters a lot is working hard and do your best, not perfection. As exams are not everything, you can be a successful person afterwards. Always try to keep things in perspective, as exam grades don’t determine your abilities. Losing or failing a single exam does not throw away your past success.
Learn your learning style:
Never copy other learning styles as everyone has a distinctive way to understand things. You can overcome test anxiety by revising all the courses suitably. Some people prefer group study, while others refrain from it like me. There are endless ways to study, including rewatching lectures and revising notes. So, try to figure out the most effective technique to learn and stick to it.
Prioritize your time:
A few days before exams, figure out what you need to review and how early you need to start revision. Then, you can make your study schedule with a suitable break to sustain concentration. Be realistic about your study pattern when allocating time.
Having a study plan helps me recall all the material more manageably without forgetting any crucial topic. After studying for an hour, take a ten-minute break and stretch your legs.
Exercise to Stay Healthy:
Exercise is a classical stress reliever. To cope with test anxiety and stress, you can engage your body in physical activity. It will boost your mind, mood and improves your health. For me, 20 minutes of walking allow me to hit the books with renewed focus.
Another way to stay healthy is to eat healthily. To get a quick burst of energy, you can take sugary snacks and avoid caffeine intake. I avoid caffeine as it prevents me from getting a better night’s sleep.
Talk to someone:
Don’t suffer this stressful condition alone. You can share your feelings & fear with friends or a family member. A good advisor can motivate you to cope with these feelings. Additionally, they may offer you a strategic plan or practical advice.
Well, don’t be afraid of speaking with a mental health professional during an exam or at any point in your life
Follow all these steps in your daily life or on exam time. Otherwise, you can purchase anxiety disorder pills online at a cheap price. But first, consult with your doctor after that take medicine as per prescription.