10 WAYS TO OVERCOME TEST ANXIETY
Has this happened to your son? He has been studying hard for his chemistry midterm, but when you walk into his exam, his mind goes blank. As he sits down to begin the test, he notices sweaty palms and a pit in his stomach. If these classic signs of test anxiety sound familiar to you, your grades and test scores may not reflect your true abilities. Learn ways to help your child manage anxiety before and during a stressful test.
What is test anxiety?
While it's completely normal to feel a little nervous before a test, some students find test anxiety debilitating. Racing thoughts, an inability to concentrate, or feelings of dread can be combined with physical symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, headache, or nausea. Whether it's big math or history test, test anxiety has the power to derail weeks and months of hard work.
Anxiety Test Tips
The causes of test anxiety can include fear of failure, lack of adequate preparation time, or bad test-taking experiences in the past. You're not alone! Here's what you can do to help your child stay calm in the days leading up to and during the test.
1. Be prepared.
Yes, this seems obvious, but it bears repeating. If you feel confident that you have prepared thoroughly, you will feel more confident going into the test.
2. Get a good night's sleep.
Cramming is never the answer, and staying up all night can exacerbate your nerves. Getting adequate rest (9-10 hours a night) is likely to be more beneficial than re-reading a text until dawn.
3. Fuel up.
Have her eat a nutritious breakfast before the test and pack smart snacks for ongoing energy. Look for foods that offer a steady stream of nutrients, rather than a high level of sugar.
4. Arrive early to class or to the test site.
Feeling rushed will only increase anxiety. Pack up everything she needs for last night's exam and set her alarm, so she can get out the door on time.
5. Have a positive mental attitude.
Bring a picture of your happy place or come up with a morale-boosting mantra like "I can do this" or "I worked hard and I deserve it." Take a look at your picture or recite your mantra, just before the test begins.
6. Let him read carefully.
Recommend that he read the instructions and answers carefully before making a decision or starting. There is nothing worse than spending time on a question and realizing that you are not solving it, or that it is not right. Slowing down can help you stay focused.
7. Let it just begin.
The blank page can maximize your anxiety. Once he has read the instructions, recommend that he find some questions that he can get right to build his confidence and drive. You can always go back and change things later if you need to.
Best CBSE Schools in Coimbatore
8. Not paying attention to what other people are doing.
Is everyone else doodling? What do they know that you don't? No matter. Recommend that he pay attention to his own exam and pacing, and forget about the other students in the room.
9. Don't look at the clock.
Realizing that time is almost up and there are so many exam questions left can make it difficult to do anything useful in those final minutes. Recommend that he pace himself by reviewing the entire test before beginning and mentally allocate how much time he will spend on each section.
10. Focus on calm breathing and positive thoughts.
Deep breathing can slow down your heartbeat or your mind racing, so help him practice these techniques at home. Just concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings. Sometimes just remembering that some test-taking anxiety is a normal part of school can help make it easier to deal with.
Comments
Post a Comment