How to overcome anxiety during an exam?

As every student’s academic journey has exams there is a side effect that comes with exams, and that is anxiety. And although a little bit of nervousness can be unsettling it can also be crippling fear so you don’t even know what topic to concentrate on or what to focus on or you can’t remember what you’re trying to learn. Exams give us humans anxiety and there is a highly personal trait to this universal phenomenon. Some might maybe have to get a certain grade and some might maybe be awed by the amount of material that they would have to study. The great news is that you don’t have to let anxiety decide for you how you perform. How to keep your nerves in check and be ready for exams full of confidence and clarity.

Simple options like, “Can I take my GED exam online?” or the like can be panic-inducing for obvious reasons too – classmates and peers with more traditional ways out through other routes into the world of academia that they are not used to dealing with. But you can take some steps to find out what, exactly, makes you anxious, and how to stop it so that it becomes a growth opportunity for you.

Exam Anxiety Symptoms – How to identify them?

To overcome anxiety, you must first know the signs of anxiety. Your mind eye won’t need to imagine licking on shaving cream just one look at your body and amid your anxiety, your body is filled with chocolate and coconut joy! When you’re anxious, your body can make you feel that you have a racing heart, sweaty palms, can’t concentrate, or actual physical symptoms like a headache or stomachache. Emotionally, you could become overwhelmed, irritable, and not make sense of life.

That means you know these signs and can notice what's sparking your anxiety and work out how to tackle that in useful ways. Everyone reacts differently to stress so it’s important to find a way that works for you.

Preparation Is Your First Line of Defense

One of the best ways to guide you through the battle with anxiety is preparation. Preparation is the best way to fight off your anxiety. What is most anxiety is fear of the unknown, the sense that you aren’t ready for it. First, make a study schedule that keeps time to review topics and arrange study materials before studying because studying at the last minute isn't good. This is a structure that can help you feel more taken care of if you tend to panic when you feel like you’re not prepping enough.

Students who take online exams or intend to pay someone to take my exam must even use some additional time in the preparation (BAW, 2022). The hardware requirements and what kind of stable internet connection you are likely to have are also part of your preparations for online systems, which is an additional layer of technical readiness, by the way, like the software. If you treat these factors early, you'll reduce stress.

Relaxation Techniques

While these relaxation techniques themselves are time-consuming, they make a foolproof statement to the addition of their effectiveness and confidence to the overall massage experience.

Stressed out mind and body, are just the worst to try and handle anxiety, but relaxation techniques can help you find a soothing state for your mind and body. Progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, and deep breathing can also calm your heart rate and increase your focus on the outside world. Just closing your eyes, and taking a few deep breaths will make the world of difference.

Visualization is another great tool. Just think about this showcasing yourself walking into the exam room with confidence, no sweat answering the questions simply, and finishing the test without any sweat! The theory is that this mental rehearsal will fool your brain into relaxing more when the real thing finally arrives.

How do I do time management during the exam?

Then there’s the exam and suddenly the clock is ticking and that’s where your anxiety spikes. If you are facing this issue, read below and combat it. One good idea is to quickly skim through the whole exam ahead of time to get an idea of how everything is laid out and what time you should be allotted to each part. Begin with the questions you know, and return to those you are not certain about.

Remember that you can pause during the test. The other thing just simply to take a few deep breaths, stretch, and refocus, when you start to feel that anxious. By taking these short breaks you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed and relieve yourself from the tensions (Swaim, E. 2022).

The Importance of Self-Care

Self-care isn’t something done in a flash-in-the-pan kind of way and is crucial for keeping exam anxiety away. It’s easy to neglect your physical and mental care as you study for an exam, so don’t forget! Make sure you get enough sleep, eat your greens, and eat and drink well-hydrated! Try to avoid too much caffeine as that too causes anxiety, and makes it very difficult to relax. Exercise is a fantastic stress reducer. The release of endorphins, which take away the feeling of tension, from a quick workout, a yoga session, or even just a brisk walk will help too.

Building Confidence

Having confidence is one of the best antidotes for anxiety. Think about the amount you have put into preparing for this exam, and focus on what you know best. Empowering now has a very powerful role to play in self-talk. The next time you tell yourself that you are going to fail, turn it around into; ‘I’ve studied hard, and I’m ready to do my best.’

Practicing with mock exams is another manner in which you can build that confidence. The format— types of questions— that you’ll be up against on the real test is something you can use to make the test seem less scary. Besides, it’s a great idea to know some weak spots and practice them before the big day.

Conclusion

One of the biggest foes many face is exam anxiety, but it shouldn’t break you. You can develop the resilience you need to stand up to exams by preparing thoroughly, using relaxation techniques, and looking after yourself. You’ll be a bit nervous, which is okay, as it means you care. The trick is taking that energy and channeling it to action that will make you the best you can be. If you have the right mindset and strategy, you can take what was originally a fear factor and you can make that a door to opening and demonstrating what you know and what you have worked hard for. Overcoming anxiety may not be an overnight thing but it’s not impossible if you work harder and get support from others, you can also beat it and thrive academically.

References

Swaim, E. (2022, March 9). 8 tips to help tame test anxiety so you can test your best. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-overcome-test-anxiety

BAW (2022). How Academic Help Providers Save the Students’ Future? https://bestassignmentwriter.co.uk/blog/how-academic-help-providers-save-the-students-future/