adminDr Mazvita Machinga
TOWARDS the end of every semester or school term, I meet students who say they feel like they have “butterflies” in their stomach, while others report finding it difficult to concentrate on exams. Exam anxiety affects different people in varied ways. Others come experiencing racing heartbeat, a sense of nervousness, tight muscles, headaches and insomnia. Some students have increased smoking and drinking. Others adopt “escaping” behaviours, e.g. partying the night before an exam, and somatisation tendencies.
These signs vary considerably from one person to another, but the underlying fact is that these students will be experiencing test anxiety. What actually is test anxiety and how can one handle test anxiety?
Text anxiety is a regular phobia that is very common. It is excessive worrying about upcoming exams and getting tense about the consequences of failing.
Mild anxiety can stimulate you to do your best. It is important to know that exam anxiety is different from typical worry. It is the aim of this article to sensitise students and parents on helpful things to do when experiencing test anxiety.
First and foremost, it is to some degree normal to stress about tests, but what is important is how one deals with the anxiety. Some degree of anxiety is normal.
Worrying about coming exams is fine. It is when the anxiety becomes debilitating and students have gone off the deep end that becomes a cause for concern. It is when students are visiting the health centre all the time having physical symptoms during exam times.
It does not matter whether you are young or an adult student, exam anxiety is common.
However, if not managed well exam anxiety can have unbearable effects on an individual’s capacity to think and reason.
This can have extreme effects on a person’s mental well-being and overall performance in the exam. Exam anxiety can disturb your studying, incapacitate your abilities, paralyse your decision making and undermine your academic confidence.
There are various reasons why people end up developing incapacitating exam anxiety. Some of these are: poor exam-taking strategies, all-night studying, irrational and negative beliefs, and catastrophic predictions such as, “I’ll fail no matter what I do.”
Remember that reducing exam anxiety is a learned skill. Why don’t you learn the skill? Here are a few tips to rise above test anxiety:
Prepare for your exam. Make preparations in advance, so as to become at ease.
Study as much as you can. Have effective study skills and minimise hanging out with unfocused buddies during exams.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle e.g. adequate sleep and rest are key to curbing test anxiety. Exhausted brain and body will compromise your functioning
Always get a study companion or a group
- Find constructive ways to release tension and relax
- Making review notes and reviewing them
- Lessen negative thinking and self-criticism
- Do not procrastinate, it just makes it harder for you.
- Use your spiritual resources to gain more strength and wisdom
- Smile and take it easy
If exam anxiety and other stress-related symptoms persist even after using the above tips, please contact Dr Mazvita Machinga, a qualified psychotherapist in Mutare for help. [email protected], or call 0771 754 519.
Online Reporter