One of the most frequent calls I get is about test anxiety. The parent informs me that the student gets good grades in his/her classes, but doesn’t “test well”. Feeling anxious about tests is a form of performance anxiety and can take the form of a nervous stomach, a headache, or even throwing up.
Many, if not most of us, get anxious before tests; even if we are well prepared. It’s similar to flight syndrome: the surge of adrenalin that keeps animals in the wild on their toes. A little anxiety is not bad if it gives you the edge needed to complete the test.
Of course, if you’re not prepared, the anxiety can be worse. In other words, the best way to avoid text anxiety is to be prepared for the test. The more prepared you are the less likely you are to be nervous.
The most common anxiety is that of freezing during the test: of being so paralyzed that you cannot remember anything. Here is a foolproof way to get over freezing up at the beginning of the exam. When you first get in, before you even look at the questions, do a “data dump”. Write down all the names, events, concepts, etc you have memorized. Then, look at the questions and do another data dump. The techniques work because your mind is more likely to go blank if the questions surprise you, or are worded strangely. When you dump your memorized info before looking at the test, you avoid that paralysis. In addition, once you have some info out there, you’re more confident about your recall ability.
I have 15 years experience helping children work through their fears with test preparation and exercises like these. Contact me today; I can help you too.