Exam preparation can be a process full of stress and anxiety in the lives of many students. However, there are effective methods to manage and alleviate these feelings. In this article, we will examine what we can do to cope with test anxiety and create a more efficient learning process. Let’s take a look together.
What Is Test Anxiety?
Exam anxiety, which manifests itself with physical and emotional effects, is the state of forgetting what one knows and panicking. It can be seen in people who cannot cope with the stress of the possibility of failure. It can lead to a decrease in the ability to focus and lead to failure. If we talk about some techniques to achieve successful results in exams;
o Care should be taken to work regularly and planned. For this, you should create a good study schedule and make it a habit to study at certain times every day.
o Focus on the exam preparation process, not the exam result. In this way, you can better assimilate what you have learnt by digesting it slowly.
o Studying in a planned way provides mental relaxation and thus it is possible to alleviate test anxiety.
Both adults and adolescents can suffer from test anxiety. With proper time management, anxiety can be significantly alleviated.
Methods to Reduce Test Anxiety in Students
Many students experience stress and anxiety with the approach of the exam time. This situation can be personal, but it can also be caused by environmental factors. It is very important to work in accordance with learning ability to reduce test anxiety. In this direction, it is possible to increase study performance with active learning methods. For example, it may be useful to actively process information instead of passively reading it.
Making studying more fun reduces test anxiety and facilitates learning at the same time. Working with flashcards, explaining what you have learnt to others or preparing questions about the subject can help you understand and remember information better. In this way, you can improve your study performance by relieving exam anxiety.
Ways to Cope with Test Anxiety
Good and quality sleep is considered to be an important key to managing stress during exam preparation periods. Because the human brain processes the information it learns while sleeping and saves it in memory. Therefore, adequate and uninterrupted sleep plays an important role in the transfer of information to long-term memory, which is effective in reducing stress levels. However, an article published by the American Psychological Association (APA) points out that sleep loss decreases positive emotions and increases anxiety.
To improve sleep duration and quality, it is helpful to put electronic devices aside at least one hour before bedtime. At this time, you can relax your mind by doing some light meditation or breathwork, and you can add such relaxing activities to your pre-sleep routine. Ensuring that your sleeping environment is dark, quiet and cool also facilitates the transition to sleep and supports deep sleep phases throughout the night.
Physical activity is an effective way to manage extreme test anxiety. Exercise triggers the release of stress-reducing hormones. This reduces mental tension and improves your overall mood. Regular exercise improves your blood circulation and allows more oxygen to be transported to your brain, which can improve your ability to learn and concentrate.
Test Anxiety and Therapy Methods
Test anxiety can manifest itself with emotional effects such as restlessness, nervousness, insecurity, fear of failure and self-blame. There may also be physical effects such as trembling hands, excessive sweating, irregular and rapid heartbeat. Motivating yourself when you experience these symptoms will be a good therapy method. To cope with stress, you should get rid of negative thoughts and believe in success. In cases where you cannot manage your stress, you can contact an expert for professional support.
It is possible to reduce test anxiety by utilising brain power. Shaping your internal dialogue in a positive and supportive way can reduce your anxiety level and increase your self-confidence. When negative thoughts come to mind, you should recognise them and try to replace them with more realistic and supportive thoughts. Thanks to this strategy, you can stay calm even during difficult exam periods and use what you have learnt in the most effective way.
You can apply these methods to ensure good stress management, reduce negative factors such as test anxiety and strengthen your academic performance, and make exam periods less stressful and more productive. Good luck!
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