How to Overcome Test Anxiety

How to Overcome Test Anxiety

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  Overcoming Test Anxiety February 17, 2010
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  Test Anxiety Mostpeople experience some form of anxiety or nervousness when facing a stressful situation. The stress is good and helps us to perform at our best! However, if you get too nervous and you don’t know how to handle it then it could interfere with your test preparation and test performance. 2
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  Symptoms of TrueTest Anxiety When you know you have adequately prepared for an exam and you experience one or more of the following (this is not an all-inclusive list): • Upset stomach • Sweating • Headache • Rapid heart beat • Tense muscles • Racing thoughts • Trouble following otherwise easy directions or easy questions • Emotionally distraught—cry easily, irritable, frustrated easily • Blanking out on answers to questions that you have learned 3
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  What isn’t TestAnxiety? *When you haven’t adequately prepared and are feeling nervous about the test. True test anxiety occurs when you have studied and done everything you could to be prepared!!! 4
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  Overcoming Test Anxiety-Ways to Prepare for a Test Be prepared:  Study over a period of time—DO NOT CRAM!  Know when your tests are scheduled  Review notes and other materials daily  Ask the teacher for a study guide  Ask the teacher what kind of questions will be on the test  Talk to other students who have had the class before  Have someone quiz you on the material 5
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  Overcoming Test Anxiety-Ways to Tackle Negative Thoughts Be Positive: Visualize yourself doing well on the test Tell yourself you are going to do well and believe it! Consider this: In the past, what were the results of you visualizing doing poorly on a test?!? 6
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  Turning Negatives intoPositives Negative Thought Positive Thought • I’m a failure if I don’t pass • I’m going to pass, but if I this test don’t it is not the end of the world • There is an impossible • I don’t have to know amount of information for everything, but I do need me to learn enough to pass the test • I always do poorly on • I’ve got a good study plan tests and I’m going to stick with it 7
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  Turning Negatives intoPositives-Your Turn Negative Thought Positive Thought 8
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  Overcoming Test Anxiety-Ways to Prepare for a Test Get a good night’s sleep and eat before the test * Sleep rejuvenates the brain * Eating nourishes the brain and you won’t be embarrassed by your stomach growling in the middle of the test 9
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  Other Tips  Takeadvantage of DeVry’s FREE tutoring service  Breathe  Don’t make plans within 30 minutes after testing— that way you can concentrate on the test not on the time  Don’t talk to other students about how hard the test is going to be  As soon as you get the test, purge your brain and write down any misc. tidbits that might help you on the test  Don’t stress over one question. If it’s giving you trouble move on and come back to it. 10
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  Other Tips  Reviewyour test before turning it in. Then change answers that are clearly wrong. Don’t try to second guess yourself.  Don’t let people who are turning in their tests before you stress you out. Worry about you and only you.  If OK with your teacher, during the test get up and stretch or move around.  Breathe  THINK POSITIVELY!! 11