No one likes dealing with test anxiety. It can leave you feeling flustered to the point that it impairs memory and decreases your academic performance.
However, clinical research has shown that exam stress can lead to physiological damage as well. Exam stress conditions were shown to correlate with oxidative damage of proteins and lipids. Such oxidative damage can lead to problems in regulation of cell signalling pathways, and indirectly lead to anxiety. The severity of damage increases as the intensity of psychological stress increases.
On a more positive note, researchers from the University of Chicago have proposed a simple and fast solution to reducing test anxiety. Researchers found that for students in a high-stakes test situation, writing about their exam-related worries for 10 minutes improved their test scores by one grade point. Researchers explain that the act of expressive writing reduces intrusive thoughts and worries and thus benefits students who are particularly anxious about tests on a regular basis. This may be because relieving the mind of these anxious thoughts allows the brain to focus on the actual test material, therefore increasing academic performance.
So to everyone suffering from the pre-midterm exam stress, try penciling down your thoughts beforehand; it’ll clear your mind and give your brain a much-deserved break.
References:
Nakhaee, A., Shahabizadeh, F., Erfani, M. (2013). Protien and lipid oxidative damage in healthy students during and after exam stress. Physiology & Behavior 118, 118-121. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.05.028
Ramirez, G., Beilock, S.L. (2011). Writing About Testing Boosts Exam Performance in the Classroom. Science 331, 221. doi: 10.1126/science.119927
