Anyone with "test anxiety"?

[Wahooali]

Would anyone out there classify themselves as having "test anxiety"?

I know what some of you are going to say, "test anxiety" is a total crock, but it can be a real problem for some people, because you can't perform well when you flip out. For example, I want to badly to do so well that I psych myself out, take it too seriously, proceed to freak out during it, and ultimately screw up (case 1: I friggin misbubbled on the PS section my first time taking the MCAT). It happened again this time around during the BS section, the test beat me, made me lose my cool, and I bombed yet again. So my question is if any of you have this problem as well, and how you have managed to combat it or even overcome it? Or if you would just like to comisurate with me, that is cool too. Thanks.

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[blz]

Would anyone out there classify themselves as having "test anxiety"?

I know what some of you are going to say, "test anxiety" is a total crock, but it can be a real problem for some people, because you can't perform well when you flip out. For example, I want to badly to do so well that I psych myself out, take it too seriously, proceed to freak out during it, and ultimately screw up (case 1: I friggin misbubbled on the PS section my first time taking the MCAT). It happened again this time around during the BS section, the test beat me, made me lose my cool, and I bombed yet again. So my question is if any of you have this problem as well, and how you have managed to combat it or even overcome it? Or if you would just like to comisurate with me, that is cool too. Thanks.

Talk to Jordan Z from examkrackers. He's pretty good with this stuff.

 

[Nuel]

I came to this world with nothing, and when I die I will leave with nothing.

I came to the world with no MCAT, when I die I will leave with no MCAT.

I came to the world with nothing, I lose not my life over the affairs of life.

---Nuelist Philosophy

 

[kiahs]

I know some people who have really bad test anxiety. I knew a girl who would study very very hard and then she would come into the test and freeze up and then once she handed in a blank test and just left. I experienced test anxiety myself last semester. I'd study pretty well and then still end up doing bad. ( By the way don't you hate that because it's like if you didn't put in the time and did bad it would be okay but when you do it just hurts so much more) I'd freak out but now it's good I dunno it just went away thank god right before the mcat! I think one of the things that really helped me was visualizing the real situation. Not being nervous and also realizing that you are going to get some wrong and that's okay. Just make sure you have enough time to recheck your answers because I too am notorious for filling in the wrong bubbles and try to keep positive. Hope this helps.

 

[An Yong]

some helpful links:

http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/mcanx.html
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/tstprp8.htm
http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/selfHelp/testAnxiety.asp
http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/stresstestanxiety.shtml
http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/testanx.htm

 

[Wahooali]

Thanks An Yong.

 

[blz]

Looks like a sign of white coat hypertension to me.

 

[benzino]

Normally I don't, but I did during the MCAT and ended up misbubbling as well...oh well...now I know how I get in that situation and hopefully can prevent it on the August MCAT.

 

[DSM]

I had test anxiety with plain ole physics...not the mcat variety but the class kind. I would do my homework problems and think that I really under stood the concept but I would bomb the test. I would come out of the test with my heart pounding, face on fire and I am sure my BP was sky high. True anxiety.

I beat it by finally understanding what was asked of me and repeating the same questions over and over...not just the math but the concepts. I could do the son of a guns in my sleep if I had to. I am no physics whiz but I am making A's and B's now. If I can beat that .....you can beat your anxiety.

It also gave me great confidence when I finally made an A on my quiz..I felt like I could do anything. Reflect on your good test taking qualities and your good scores to remember that you do have the right stuff to make it.

 

[st85]

Wahoo, I had a major problem with test anxiety, I sent you a pm.

 

[911Med]

One word: Xanax

 

[Nutmeg]

I just did a reearch paper on Ritalin and ADHD and came across some interesting stuff. Apparently you can teach monkeys to do some chore that requires some rudimentary thinking, and if you stress them out by making a loud noise, they start to mess up. But if you give them haloperidol, which antagonizes the dopamine receptor, they do okay again.

What's weird about that is that the medication to treat ADHD is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, meaning it has the opposite effect that haloperidol should have. That means that while my inattention issues in a normal classroom stting may be due to a dopamine deficiency, it would also explain why i do so much better on real tests than on fake ones. The dopamine system is interesting: too little and you don't know how to care, and thus can't pay attention; too much and you get so over-worked about everything that you can't focus. It also makes me wonder if it isn't the case that those who are the best about focusing and studying for hours religiously may also be those most prone to bombing stressful tests, and conversely, those who "test well" are also those who can't keep their attention long enough to imagine a rigorous study regimine.

Thoughts?