If you usually spend whole sleepless nights worrying about an exam coming up in the following days or weeks, read on.
Steps
Step 1. Identify the component of the exam that makes you anxious
Are you not sufficiently prepared, do you fear failure or the environment that normally surrounds this type of situation?
Step 2. Be well prepared for the exam
Practice answering the most frequently asked questions. Get exam cards to simulate the real test and review them to remind yourself that you are ready to take the test.
Step 3. Ignore and avoid people who are used to making predictions or complaining of possible failure even before the exam takes place
Step 4. Read your notes the night before
The information will be effectively refreshed in your mind, so don't fear that doing so will increase the pressure further. Note: This method works for many, while for some trying to cram the information into their memory makes the situation even more complex.
Step 5. Go to sleep early and try using meditation or aromatherapy to relax
Step 6. On the day of the exam, read the questions very carefully
Breathe slowly and try to relax.
Step 7. During the exam, read each piece of information slowly and carefully
Don't panic. Focus on the sections you think you know best. Remember that at the start of each exam you have a 100% chance of succeeding.
Step 8. If anxiety proves severe and persistent, talk to a therapist
Together you can develop strategies to help you overcome it. Additionally, the therapist may choose to discuss this with your teachers. Knowing about the problem, they may decide to give you more time during the exam, in case an anxiety attack forces you to slow down.
Advice
- Exercise is an effective way to relieve anxiety and stress.
- Get a book or CD to help you start a meditation practice.
- Try using an essential oil while you study, then take the same aroma with you on the day of the exam, perhaps by pouring a few drops on a handkerchief. Smell it if you feel stuck or confused. The sense of smell can bring back to your memory what you did or learned while you were enveloped in that perfume!
- Pour a few drops of relaxing oil on the pillow to sleep well during the nights before the exam. If you wish, do the same with a tissue and take it with you to calm down while you take the test. Don't overdo the quantities, people near you may be annoyed.
