test anxiety

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James401

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So I really would like some help from people who have bad test anxiety or had it and managed to overcome it. I have survived most of my college career with almost all A's, my gpa is pretty good. But i worry a downward trend is coming. My grades on exams are slowly getting worse, I'm currently half way through gen chem and bio . Its to the point now where I can barely sleep the night before because of how nervous I am. I do fine on the homework and practice problems while I'm studying, but i get to the exams and quizzes and i panic. This something I must overcome as i know its only getting harder. Just looking for some advice.
 
One, go see your school's counseling center. STAT.

Two, go see your school's education or learning center.

So I really would like some help from people who have bad test anxiety or had it and managed to overcome it. I have survived most of my college career with almost all A's, my gpa is pretty good. But i worry a downward trend is coming. My grades on exams are slowly getting worse, I'm currently half way through gen chem and bio . Its to the point now where I can barely sleep the night before because of how nervous I am. I do fine on the homework and practice problems while I'm studying, but i get to the exams and quizzes and i panic. This something I must overcome as i know its only getting harder. Just looking for some advice.
 
So I really would like some help from people who have bad test anxiety or had it and managed to overcome it. I have survived most of my college career with almost all A's, my gpa is pretty good. But i worry a downward trend is coming. My grades on exams are slowly getting worse, I'm currently half way through gen chem and bio . Its to the point now where I can barely sleep the night before because of how nervous I am. I do fine on the homework and practice problems while I'm studying, but i get to the exams and quizzes and i panic. This something I must overcome as i know its only getting harder. Just looking for some advice.

In addition to the suggestions already made:

1. Getting out of the rut: Some people find that boosting confidence and having a series of positive experiences with testing drastically reduces test anxiety. If this sounds like it would help, you can try to find a coach (sports coach style) to motivate and encourage you or a hypnotist for guided meditation/hypnosis, or an awesome tutor or peer who can motivate and encourage others. The internet is an excellent way of finding all of these, and in fact, I know people who have found all of those on the internet. Online there are some excellent videos that sum up most gen chem and biology topics very well. (Recommending specific businesses is considered against TOS by some of the mods on here, so that's why I'm being vague.) If anxiety is new to you, think back to before you had test anxiety and you felt back then prior to tests.

2. Cleansing chemical soup: Get your body out of panic mode (if it's there) and into a relaxed confident state overall. Staying away from things that provide the similar sensations to test anxiety is a start. For example, if tests and scary movies make you feel similar, stay away from scary movies. Instead, try to surround yourself with things that set your overall emotional/physiological state to where you want it for the test. Exercise helps too. Do some of your homework while on the elliptical or treadmill in the gym if possible. Just don't overdo the exercise or you might suffer fatigue, as you may or may not already know.

3. Vent: If you have thoughts that increase the anxiety, find a supportive person to share those thoughts with. Many people find that venting to the right person makes things at least a little better, and any illogical thoughts tend to lose their credibility when spoken out loud and discussed. IMO, venting can be tricky because if you have a friend who doesn't mind listening and helping, it's fine to call that friend and vent. On the other hand IMO, if your friends don't like hearing venting, then it could turn into a boundary violation - you may already know that - but it's a common boundary violation and that's why I'm saying so here. Psychologists are a good place to vent when all else fails.

4. Finding a mentor: This is not necessary or helpful to everyone, but some people overcome test anxiety by a combination of being prepared and finding a mentor who can see their situation from a better vantage point. There's nothing like getting help from someone who understands you and your situation and has been there before. Mentors like this can come in the form of a tutor, a graduate student, an TA/professor/assistant professor, etc. Say a little bit about your situation and see who's receptive.
 
Ditto with caffeine and some over-the-counter cold medications.

Given this comment and OP's situation, I might also mention that a neuropsychologist told me that Benedryl, or diphenhydramine, can cause memory loss. I'm not sure if that requires regular use or is an immediate short term effect. Just something to be aware of. (I think diphenhydramine is also in Nyquil and several other cold medications.)
 
So I really would like some help from people who have bad test anxiety or had it and managed to overcome it. I have survived most of my college career with almost all A's, my gpa is pretty good. But i worry a downward trend is coming. My grades on exams are slowly getting worse, I'm currently half way through gen chem and bio . Its to the point now where I can barely sleep the night before because of how nervous I am. I do fine on the homework and practice problems while I'm studying, but i get to the exams and quizzes and i panic. This something I must overcome as i know its only getting harder. Just looking for some advice.
I ditto Goro, go to your learning resource center. I used their services, and got accommodations. They can point you in the right direction to get testing/evaluations if it is really test anxiety or some over learning disability. I didn't get diagnosed until College, and found the College learning resources to be valuable in helping with testing situations (separate, quiet rooms, extended time). Best wishes to you.
 
In addition to the suggestions already made:

1. Getting out of the rut: Some people find that boosting confidence and having a series of positive experiences with testing drastically reduces test anxiety. If this sounds like it would help, you can try to find a coach (sports coach style) to motivate and encourage you or a hypnotist for guided meditation/hypnosis, or an awesome tutor or peer who can motivate and encourage others. The internet is an excellent way of finding all of these, and in fact, I know people who have found all of those on the internet. Online there are some excellent videos that sum up most gen chem and biology topics very well. (Recommending specific businesses is considered against TOS by some of the mods on here, so that's why I'm being vague.) If anxiety is new to you, think back to before you had test anxiety and you felt back then prior to tests.

2. Cleansing chemical soup: Get your body out of panic mode (if it's there) and into a relaxed confident state overall. Staying away from things that provide the similar sensations to test anxiety is a start. For example, if tests and scary movies make you feel similar, stay away from scary movies. Instead, try to surround yourself with things that set your overall emotional/physiological state to where you want it for the test. Exercise helps too. Do some of your homework while on the elliptical or treadmill in the gym if possible. Just don't overdo the exercise or you might suffer fatigue, as you may or may not already know.

3. Vent: If you have thoughts that increase the anxiety, find a supportive person to share those thoughts with. Many people find that venting to the right person makes things at least a little better, and any illogical thoughts tend to lose their credibility when spoken out loud and discussed. IMO, venting can be tricky because if you have a friend who doesn't mind listening and helping, it's fine to call that friend and vent. On the other hand IMO, if your friends don't like hearing venting, then it could turn into a boundary violation - you may already know that - but it's a common boundary violation and that's why I'm saying so here. Psychologists are a good place to vent when all else fails.

4. Finding a mentor: This is not necessary or helpful to everyone, but some people overcome test anxiety by a combination of being prepared and finding a mentor who can see their situation from a better vantage point. There's nothing like getting help from someone who understands you and your situation and has been there before. Mentors like this can come in the form of a tutor, a graduate student, an TA/professor/assistant professor, etc. Say a little bit about your situation and see who's receptive.

This is great advice thank you very much. I guess part of my problem is I spend hours upon hours studying and never have any sort of outlet to relax. I always feel so guilty not studying. But in the end I may be spending 12 hours "studying" but it is not all that productive. But if I don't study enough then my grades tend to reflect that.
 
Ditto with caffeine and some over-the-counter cold medications.

Thanks for the reply. Honestly I have tried to stop drinking coffee. I know that it doesn't help when i get anxious during a test. However the headaches i get when i tried stoping were not fun at all. It is the only thing that keeps me awake going from school to work, or school to staying up into the whee hours of the night studying.
 
I just accept the fact that nothing in life is that serious. Do as much as you can in one day and be done with it. I'm doing fine overall but I never worry about the bad grades I got or might get. Life is already hectic with school, work, and any other life responsibilities you might have.

If you know for a fact that you're doing as much as you can with the time you have, anxiety should be less of an issue. Take the test, move on, and prepare for the next challenge.
 
Thanks for the reply. Honestly I have tried to stop drinking coffee. I know that it doesn't help when i get anxious during a test. However the headaches i get when i tried stoping were not fun at all. It is the only thing that keeps me awake going from school to work, or school to staying up into the whee hours of the night studying.
Caffeine-withdrawal headaches are not a rare problem. I suggest you talk with your doctor about that, too.
 
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