The major cause of fear for students are exams. There are students who commit suicide just because of exam fear. Exam fear and exam anxiety are things which are common among students of all age groups. Some are capable to overcome exam fear and exam stress in their own way. Some fall prey to effects of exam fear and go to depression, perform badly in exams or even take extreme measures. First step would be to find ways to relax yourself before and during the exam. You don’t want to be too relaxed, of course. Ideally you want you mind to be highly focused but not overly tense.
There are several steps you can take to overcome exam fear, which will benefit your grades and your overall mental health.
Effective Study from the Beginning
Start your study and preparation from the beginning, do not wait until the exam starts. Start paying more attention to studies as soon as exam is scheduled with several days or even a week before, you’ll feel more relaxed because you have plenty of time to learn the material. So to overcome exam fear you should start your efforts from the beginning.
Revision Timetable
Make a realistic revision timetable and set out what topics, subjects you want to cover each day and stick to it. Start planning it well before the exams begin. Work out what revision timetable best suits you. Don’t leave revision to the last hour. When the exam finally arrives, it is too late to worry, over whether you have revised enough.
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Concentrated Studies
If you can concentrate well in the morning then do most of your studying before lunch, not late at night when you can’t concentrate. If you can study at night then study at later half of the day, but go to bed at reasonable hour and get enough sleep. If you really cannot concentrate it may be because you are tired, hungry, or just bored. Take a break and come back to it 10 minutes later. Short bursts of concentrated studies are often better than hours of staring at the same page.
Meditation
Exercise and physical activity are great ways to reduce anxiety and to achieve a state of relaxed mental alertness is through meditation. The easiest form of meditation is probably “awareness” or “mindfulness” that focuses on breathing. Try to relax your mind by meditating for a few minutes. Physical activity releases endorphins that will elevate your mood. This should help to immediate overcome exam fear.
Positive Thoughts
Practice positive self-talk as you prepare for the test. Create a mantra to help you calm your test anxiety. Repeat a phrase by saying yourself such as, “I’ve studied, I’m prepared”. Push back against negative thoughts that creep into your mind. Throughout the test, you should still be focusing on positive thoughts.
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Stop Negative Thoughts
When a negative thought enters your head, stop what you’re doing and think about it. By breaking down negative thoughts, you can find that most of them are unrealistic, and then replace them with more positive thoughts.
Healthy Meal
Don’t go to the exam with an empty stomach. Make sure your meals are nutritious. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress. Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety.
Enough Sleep
Healthier people who are well-rested often do better on exams. Keep your mind and body healthy by getting enough sleep. Relax the night before your test. Commit to getting a full 8 hours of sleep every night. This will ensure that your brain has been properly rested and you can start studying with a fresh mind.
Review Yourself
After the test, review how you did, list what worked, and hold onto these strategies. It does not matter how small the items are; they are building blocks to success. List what did not work for improvement.
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Reward Yourself
Reward yourself after the test is over. The reward gives you the break you deserve after all of your studying. Treating yourself also helps you stop thinking about the test and analyzing every little mistake you may have made. Celebrate that you are on the road to overcome exam fear.
Here are some statements that can help you to improve your attitude and overcome exam fear.
- Feel positive about the upcoming exam.
- You know you can do it, no matter how difficult it becomes.
- An exam is an exciting challenge.
- Feel confident before and during the exam.
- It’s only a test. You will not be punished and you are not going to die.
- Every exam is an opportunity for you to show our knowledge.
- You know that you did everything to ace the exam with ease.
- Be confident and relaxed state of mind that helps you to remember everything you studied.
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