5 Tips on Reducing Stress During A Test

It’s normal to feel stressed. Everyone goes through it at some point in their lives, whether they are at work, school, or even at home. And students are definitely not spared from the stress.

Every school environment doesn’t only come with friendships and learnings, after all. You’re still there to learn all sorts of tests – quizzes, final exams, group reports, and thesis presentations.

And if you’re a student who’s struggling through the motions of dealing with anxiety before a test, it’s highly likely that you’ll eventually start to feel it too during an actual exam.

There are some who feel the stress before the test, which is completely fine if it compels you to study to your maximum.

There are also some special folks who get stressed during an exam. And woe betides you if you come from that special group of people who feel the stress during both occasions.

Fortunately, it’s possible to declutter your mind during an exam, and all it takes is doing any of these methods:

Come to class early.

There’s so much to be said if you come late to a class. For starters, it spells irresponsibility and attracts unnecessary stress for you. Besides, not only does it waste precious time but it also attracts more stress from your end.

Make it a habit to arrive to class thirty minutes early at the latest. You’re probably familiar with the saying that five minutes is considered “on-time”; being on-time is late, and being late is “unacceptable” – that’s completely true! Try going to class early so you can relax. Make sure not to cram your reviewers or start conversations with other classmates; you’ll need to save that energy for the exam. You can also start meditating from your seat.

Deep breaths matter.

Never underestimate the power of your breath. They give you life and energy, which can energize you when utilized the right way.

Once your instructor hands out your test paper, pause for a moment and let it stay on your desk. Close your eyes for a brief moment and take deep breaths; this helps you calm down and relax your mind before each exam. Your classmates might have already started with their work, but you’ll need your mind to be completely relaxed before you check out your exam.

Keep scanning.

Once you’ve finally convinced your mind to relax, don’t just rush to answer the first set of questions that you see; scan your entire test first. Chances are you’ll be able to find a lot of easier questions that you can answer at a faster rate. Then once you’ve finished scanning, go over the entire test by answering the questions that you know. Know the answer? Write it down. But if a certain item needs more time to finish, proceed to the next question in the meantime. This helps you speed up the time it takes to answer an exam, which, in turn, reduces the stress once you return to the questions that you left blank beforehand. Plus you’ll start feeling more confident with yourself since you’ve answered more questions before everyone else.

Once you’re done filling out all the questions that you know, use the remaining time to finish the rest of the more difficult questions that you left blank.

Stretches and breaks can do you good.

A good stretch is also important anytime during any test! Set your pen or pencil aside and pause for a bit by closing your eyes and relaxing. If you can, stretch out your arms and legs to release more tension. Taking a brief mental break will always be good for your body and can also replenish your energy in the process.

Know that it’s okay.

If you really don’t know the answers to the other items, know that it’s okay to do your best and you don’t have to beat yourself down. What matters is answering everything that you know, and you learn from it!

So are you ready to take that test? Or do you feel the need to learn more about education in general? Get to know more tips on surviving your daily school life at Edukasyon.ph!