Feel more prepared
Be prepared.
To feel more prepared, you do have to actually be prepared.
Learn how to study, how you study best, and study early. The more confident that you fully understand the material, the more confident you will be on test day. Do not cram the night or morning before a test. It is ineffective.
Study early. Like I’ve said it before, schedule it on your calendar. Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” So plan out your study time. Start studying as soon as you cover the material in class.
Talk to teachers or a professional. Talk to your teacher. If you truly have test taking anxiety, your teacher may have some test taking insider tips to help you succeed. If you find that you still need help, ask your parents to help seek out a counselor or a professional that can give you ideas that are specific to you and your situation.
Feel more calm
Being calm during a test starts weeks before the actual test.
Be healthy.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Sleep. Exercise. Eat right. Taking care of your body also takes care of your mental capabilities.
Sleep. In order to recall what you’ve studied, you need to sleep so that the information moves to your long-term memory. Sleeping helps make you sharper and recall information quicker.
Exercise. Do what works for you. If that means walking around the block with an elevated heart rate for 30 minutes 5 days a week, do that. If it means training for a sport or competition, then do that. Aim for 30 minutes 5 days a week with an elevated heart rate.
Eat right. Be mindful of what you put in your body. If you put in unhealthy foods, you won’t perform as well as when you choose more nutritious options such as fruits, veggies, water, and lean meats. Cut the caffeine, sugar, and processed foods where possible.
Be consistent.
Establish a routine the morning of your test, and stick to that routine. Find what works and what helps ease those pretest jitters.
What makes you feel comfortable?
A few minutes of stretching or an easy jog?
Sharpening your 5 pencils to a perfect point (ahem- don’t judge me)?
Spending 5 minutes outdoors to get a breath of fresh air?
Make sure your routine includes:
The night before: know where the test is located (if it isn’t in your normal classroom) and gather all the materials in your bag or purse you’ll need before, during, or after your test.
Dress in layers so that if you feel warm and are worried an anxiety attack is arising, you can remove a layer of clothes. You don’t want to just be warm and instead freak yourself out into making an anxiety attack happen.
Eat breakfast or have a healthy snack and water available.
Arrive to class early to pick your favorite seat and you won’t feel rushed.
Take a few minutes to breathe and get calm before the test starts.
Be observant
Read the directions. When you start a test, read the directions from start to finish. Reread them. Make sure that you completely understand what the questions are asking. Nothing is more frustrating than finishing a problem or essay only to realize that you solved for the wrong variable or wrote your paper on the wrong topic.
Watch the clock. Be mindful of the time you have during a test. You don’t want to spend the majority of your time on one portion and ace it only to have 75% of the test remaining and no time to complete it.
Don’t be distracted. Ignore everyone else in your room. Ignore distractions and things vying for your attention. Completely TURN OFF your phone and all notifications. The beeping and dinging and Snapchat alerts will only make you more anxious as distract you from being able to concentrate.
Be undaunted.
Know that your professors and teacher are trying to evaluate everything you know. You will probably come across some pretty difficult material during your test. That’s ok.
If you are working on an essay and have no idea of how to make heads or tails of a prompt, just start writing. Just start. It is ok to not know where your essay is going in the beginning. Oftentimes a little writing and putting your ideas on paper will spur more ideas that will get you going in the right direction. Write a few sentences. Try an outline. Just start.
If you encounter a question or multiple choice problem that you don’t know the answer to, skip it. Find a question where you do know the answer. Sometimes getting a few that you know completed will help you come back to a more difficult question.
If you find yourself having a panic attack or getting overwhelmed during the test, use some relaxation techniques that you’ve put into practice.
Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Calm your heart, slow down, and remember that you can do this.
Take a drink of water or chew some gum.
Remove a layer of clothing if you are feeling warm.
Look to the ceiling, stretch your neck, and resituate in your chair.
Above all else, remember to stay positive. Your worth is not tied to how well you do on this test or any test. You are so much more than one exam.
Feel less anxious
So how can you feel less anxious about the outcome of every single test you ever take in the future? Learn more.