A couple of days ago, I was at a volunteer training session, where we would go around and come up with one adjective that best describes ourselves at the moment. We do this at the beginning of every training session as a warm-up exercise. And while the vast majority of our adjectives fell between “tired” and “exhausted”, I realized – it’s “that” time of the year.
Yes, you guessed it, it’s midterm season. It’s the time of the year where Vancouver starts to get gloomy, where it starts raining, where everyone around you suddenly decides to fell ill at the same time, and where midterm exams strike back-to-back.
If you are currently a university student, chances are you are fairly familiar with the exam process. You know what to do during an exam and what to expect. But still, you are worried. What if you fail? What if you spend hours studying the wrong material? What if you jot down the wrong exam date or place?…
For the most part, it is normal to feel anxious before an exam. In fact, an optimal level of anxiety can motivate your study and improve your performance. But every so often, some of us can get so anxious our minds stop working. If your mind is not working, obviously, you are not going to do well on an exam; not to mention it’s also an unpleasant feeling to have to endure.
Fortunately, test anxiety is common enough for it to be studied quite extensively by psychologists and other researchers in the field of education. There are a ton of self-help techniques, both on the internet and elsewhere, that can help you deal with different levels of test anxiety. If it gets too intense, counseling is always another option. Just remember: you are not alone on this, and there are things you can do about it.
Here is an (over)simplified list of things you could do:
- Try to think positively about your exam, and try to stop any negative thoughts before they develop into full-blown panic attacks. Distract yourself when you notice irrational thinking.
- Develop a list of things to do that can calm you, such as taking deep breath, or doing yoga. Drink your normal amount of coffee before an exam if you are a regular coffee drinker.
- Be extra-prepared to ease your anxiety (that includes study well, getting things ready the night before exam, and arriving early)
- Stay healthy (it’s bad enough to take an exam with a test anxiety; it’s a disaster if you have to take it with a flu)
More self-help tips:
http://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/Test_Anxiety_Booklet.pdf
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/47.asp
UBC resources:
Counseling service http://www.students.ubc.ca/livewelllearnwell/counselling-services/
Healthy minds http://blogs.ubc.ca/healthyminds/
