You have probably finished an earlier assignment, and you’ve studied so hard that you think you have all the grip you need on the material. On the test day, you get to freeze and feel nervous, which makes you have difficulty responding to some of the questions in the paper that you just read about last night. If you’ve ever been in such a situation, then that is the exam anxiety that most people tend to suffer before taking a given test.
Meaning of test anxiety
it is usually a feeling that someone might have whenever they are in a situation that performance counts or they feel the pressure to do well. Some common examples are stage fright or attending a critical interview. You can therefore have butterflies, stomach aches, or a headache. Other people may report feeling shaky or sweaty or having a fast heartbeat as they wait for the test to get rolled out. Most students who suffer exam anxiety end up passing out or throwing up.
The causes
Anxiety entails a reaction that involves anticipating something that is otherwise deemed as stressful. Like all other forms of anxiety, exam anxiety will affect the whole mind and body. Whenever you feel under stress, the body releases adrenaline which is a hormone that prepares you for danger. That hormone will cause all the physical symptoms of stress, including eating, a fast heartbeat, or rapid breathing.
If you focus on the bad things that could happen to you, it will also fuel exam anxiety. For instance, if you worry about how poor your grades will be after the exams, many live with no mental space to think about the questions in the test.
Exam anxiety can develop a bug, say call within you, because the more you focus on some of the negative things that spring to your head, you’ll have a stronger feeling of anxiety. It will make you feel lower, and because your head is now full of fears and distracting thoughts, most probably, you’ll find that you will do very poorly on the test.
People likely to have exam anxiety
Perfectionists or individuals who tend to worry a lot May have trouble dealing with test anxiety. Individuals having such traits may find it hard to internally accept all the mistakes that they probably may make or may even refuse whenever they get a score that is not perfect for them. Most people tend to feel a lot of pressure when they have such characters.
Students who fail to prepare for tests but care about performing well will most likely suffer test anxiety. If you understand that you haven’t prepared for your exams within you, you probably will focus on doing poorly.
What you can do
- Utilize the little stress to your advantage
When you experience stress, that is your body warning you, and it is a signal that will assist you in preparing for a critical thing that is bound to happen. Instead of going around it, use it to your advantage. Stop complaining or dreading the exam with your friends but ensure that you take an approach that will help you. If you have less stress, you will study more efficiently.
- Seek help
Too much stress is not good for your body and mind. If sitting for an exam will push your stress levels to the highest point, such that you have a blank mind and failed to answer the questions you know you understand, you need to seek some help. You can talk to your teacher or a tutor to help you handle your stress.
- Prepare yourself
Be sure to read well before you go for your exams, which brings on study habits. You need to have study skills and habits that can help you pass your examinations. Try to study because it will help you remember all the points well, and the points will stick to your mind for as long as you can refresh them now and then.