When a graduate or student learns material for exams, they do not think about psychological preparation. Fear of exams is the main reason the grade is 1-2 points lower than deserved. It is frustrating to get a failing grade because of some nervous attitude after a week of diligent preparation.
Testophobia is a fear of exams and assessment tests. People with this peculiarity are scared to even of writing assignments, so they prefer to ask for help with research paper and pay for this work. To get rid of it, you must sort yourself out and change your attitude toward what is happening. We tell you how to pull yourself together before an exam, even with the scariest professor.
What Is the Testophobia?
Scientists estimate that 95% of people are subject to this phobia to some extent. But it is one thing to be stressed during exams, which is normal for an ordinary college or university student. So what if fear catches up with us long before the test?
Stress breeds fear, and fear breeds stress. It is a vicious cycle that can only be broken by passing the exam. Interestingly, those who are not ready for the exam at all worry the least because they know from the very beginning that they will go to retake the exam.
What makes us afraid? First, uncertainty, and second, insecurity. It is like a system of equations with a lot of unknowns: what set of questions you will get, what the professor will ask in addition, whether they will remember that you skipped classes, and so on. And it is essential to know this to understand how to calm yourself down and relieve the excitement before the exam.
Even the most prepared student can doubt themselves before an exam. In this case, stress and anxiety will not do any good. You can know everything perfectly well but fall into a stupor and forget the essential things. Read how to overcome the excitement before the exam to prevent this from happening.
Why Is There Nothing Wrong With Being Afraid of Exams?
It is the body’s natural reaction in a situation of threat or stress. At this moment, our body mobilizes to express itself. The main thing is to move this energy in the right direction.
Fear of exams shows that you care about your success. You need to know the subject, demonstrate your knowledge to the examiner, and ensure your professional future. It means that you want to prepare for the exam as well as possible and not let yourself get lazy. Even realizing that fear is your helper can alleviate anxiety.
What Are the Main Fears Before the Test?
The same fears make students nervous before an exam: too much work, I will not have time, I do not understand the topic and cannot prepare, I study and repeat, but nothing fits in my head. Let’s review each fear in more detail and tell you how to overcome fear and anxiety.
#1. I Repeat, but I Cannot Remember Anything
Often students read the text, highlight the main points, draw diagrams, and make cards, but this does not always help them remember the material well. Try a practice test after each lesson; the interval repetition method can also help you in this case.
#2. I Will Not Be Able To Learn as Many Questions
The large amount of work is frightening. To reduce anxiety, break down the big task into smaller ones. Let’s compare the exam to an enormous pizza; your goal is to eat all the slices. It is unequivocally frightening. But imagine that you only need to eat a piece and that task seems real and not as complicated anymore.
By devouring one set of questions after another, you can gradually master all the material. Calculate how much time you have to prepare, make a schedule of when you will study the tickets, and spread out the blocks of topics by day. Precise planning helps you get rid of fear and prepare better for the final test.
#3. The Morning Before the Exam, I Am Anxious
Focus on everyday activities: eat breakfast, pack your backpack, and get your clothes ready. Repeat the questions you doubt to feel more confident. Think about the fact that you have written tests and taken other exams before. You did well last time, so you will also get a good grade today and improve your academic performance.
#4. I Am Nervous Because I Have One Day Left
The day before the exam is the best time to relax, rest, and reset your brain. Set yourself up for the best; tell yourself that you are well prepared, have all the topics covered, and will be able to answer all the questions in the test. If the tension does not go away, reread the tickets again. It will make sure that you are really ready.
#5. I Cannot Concentrate on the Questions
Because of the stress, at first, it may seem that you do not remember anything. But do not panic; look at the questions and start answering the easiest ones. That way, you can stretch and cope with the excitement. If the exam is oral, write down your answer plan on a sheet to organize your thoughts and avoid getting confused with the information.
Breathing will help you to release tension before the exam and stop fearing the test. Close your eyes, and start breathing deeply and slowly, and you will feel relaxed and less anxious after a few breaths. It is an easy and effective way to become more concentrated.
Tips for Not Being Afraid of Exams
So, what should you do to not worry before and during the exam? Here are our tips for coping with your stress!
Learn the Procedure
Play the procedure in your head. Find out what you can use during the exam, what form it will take, and if there are examples of questions and assignments. The unknown is scary, especially if this is your first face-to-face exam. You can handle the excitement when you answer all the questions.
Do a Rehearsal
As a rule, fear arises against the background of a specific environment or the unknown. Eliminating such serious gaps can be helped by regular rehearsal. For this purpose, it is enough to present yourself in the audience and answer any questions (from the declared exam list), to be present at the consultation before the exams, to come to the university and try to improvise the situation in a free audience, etc. Frequent participation in various events (academic conferences, business games, quests, etc.) with public speaking will also help facilitate the test. It is important not to suppress fear but to conquer it!
Set Yourself up for the Best Result
Imagine your perfect exam score. For example: “I solved all the assignments, answered all the questions, and walked away with an excellent grade.” The more detailed and varied your dreams are, the better. They will distract you from unnecessary worries and help you not to be afraid of the exam.
It is crucial not only to overcome all obstacles but also to remember this moment, to harden and recharge oneself with it, and to motivate oneself with these achievements when meeting new difficulties. Positive experiences and the method of associations can increase self-confidence, improve mood and significantly increase the chances of a favorable outcome in the exam or test. Remember, thoughts are things.
Rest the Day Before
Sleep and rest are sure ways to stop worrying before the exam. If you spend all night studying and repeating what you have learned, you will likely fail the exam. Because the information that you will be cramming at night will not be “deposited” in your head, and all your efforts will be wasted. It is not a result you may expect, right?
Remember that you already know everything. Sleeping at night and running through the problematic points the morning before the exam is way better. It will help you feel more confident.
Start Simple
In the written exam, run your eyes over all the assignments in the first minutes. Answer the easy questions first so that you stretch your legs and have more time to work through the difficult ones. The first answers will help you calm down and overcome your fear of a blank sheet.
Besides, such an attitude will help you to save time for more complicated questions. All you need is to spend the exam period wisely, which is another way to get an excellent score.
Make a Plan
For an oral exam or essay, you should create an answer plan. It will make it easier to structure the information and not get confused about it yourself. Spend enough time in the planning stage, then you can write your text quickly and easily, and the excitement of the exam will be lessened.
Breathe Correctly
Breathing will help you not to get nervous on the exam. Close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and then exhale. This method will help you to quickly come to your senses and easily focus on your work, forgetting about your anxiety.
Calculate the Timing
Allocate a certain amount of time to each part of your work and watch your timing. At the end of the exam, take your time and do not change anything in a hurry. Work at your own pace. It is better to miss everything than to do the rest of the work poorly.
The first face-to-face exam is always scary. Take away from our tips the most effective ones for yourself that will help you not get nervous on the exam. With experience, the excitement will pass, and you will stop being afraid of exams.
The Best Way To Prepare for an Exam According to Scientists
Scientists from Baylor University in the United States conducted an experiment and found something. Successfully pass the exam for those students who not just read notes and cram during the preparation but also tell their roommate what they have read.
Thus, some students took the exam without preparation in the form of retelling the material to their colleagues, and the other students passed the exam after a similar rehearsal. It turned out that people from the second group directly on the exam quite unexpectedly for themselves remembered a lot of small details.
So rehearse for the exam. And if you do not have a roommate, tell the answer to your reflection or an imaginary friend. There will not be anyone around who thinks you are crazy and talking to yourself anyway. Besides, it will help you to be more confident when answering questions in front of your professor.
What To Do If You Doubt About Your Final Score?
The world does not change whether you are afraid of something. Should you be fearful of exams? Of course not. Exams are worth preparing for!
But what to do if you are still unsure of your success? You can visit an essay writing service and ask for assistance. BestCustomWriting offers a pool of expert writers with extensive academic experience, which allows for providing top-notch assistance in different domains. It means that you can get what you want.
Another positive side is the pricing policy, which is affordable for all kinds of students. Besides, BestCustomWriting offers discounts and loyalty programs that allow students to spend less money on professional help. Therefore, you can save time and nerves to have your best college life and guarantee an A+ for your task. Visit bestcustomwriting.com and get top-level assistance!Read more
