KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, MAY 10, 2010 / FINALS GUIDE
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Prepare, manage time to avoid test anxiety
BY AMANDA GAGE editor@kansan.com
Finals week brings with it a high-stress atmosphere. But letting anxiety get out of hand can send students down a spiraling path to bad grades.
Test anxiety is actually a type of performance anxiety, which occurs when the pressure to do well is high.
Linzi Gibson, a graduate student in cognitive psychology, said that test anxiety and its symptoms were reflected on a person's entire body.
Text anxiety is a type of performance anxiety that occurs when there is high pressure to do well. To help reduce text anxiety, work on preparation skills and develop study strategies to help manage time.
Valerie Skubal/KANSAN
preparation skills. Developing study strategies, managing time, organizing materials to be learned and studied, and reviewing earlier tests can help students feel confident.
"When you become anxious, your arousal levels increase." Gibson said. "You can see physical signs such as perspiration, sweaty palms, headache, upset stomach, rapid heartbeat, tense muscles, etc. These anxious feeling can make it difficult to concentrate, organize your thoughts and retrieve information from memory."
According to kidshealth.org, the first step to avoiding and reducing test anxiety is perfecting
"Make sure you distribute your study time over many days or weeks; avoid cramming," Gibson said. "It's also important to get a good night's sleep before an exam. Not only can it help your performance, but feeling rested can also reduce anxiety levels and decrease the desire to use caffeine or other stimulants, which can also put you on edge and should be avoided. Students can also use relaxation techniques like taking long deep breaths to relax the body and reduce stress."
According to studygs.net, to reduce anxiety during the test, it's important that students take a deep breath and calm down. They need to read the directions carefully, budget their time wisely, and change positions to help relax. If a student draws a blank, he or she should skip it and go back, and shouldn't panic or feel rushed when other students start turning in their tests.
"When I have to deal with test anxiety I just try and relax," Abby Drogosz, a sophomore from Chicago, said, "I realize there is nothing I can do to change the situation and just try my best."
Test anxiety is a difficult emotion that everyone in college experiences at one point or another. It's important to know that there are
outlets that students can reach out to if they are having trouble dealing with their anxious feelings.
Students can talk to their instructors or contact Counseling and Psychological Services on the 2nd floor of the Watkins Health Center or at 785-864-2277.
— Edited by Katie Blankenau