Four Ways to Overcome Test Anxiety

Breathe! And other helpful tips.

Your college probably offers workshops on coping with test anxiety, and I encourage you to attend one. For now, here are four quick tips: 1. Breathe! This is the simplest thing you can do to help yourself calm down. 2. Try to avoid cramming right up until the last minute. Instead, relax and go to bed early. This will reduce your test anxiety. 3. Do the easy questions first to build up your confidence. 4. What do you do if you panic in the middle of the test and your mind goes blank? Believe it or not, this happens to lots of people. Remember that the panic you are experiencing is a physical reaction to a stressful situation, and does not necessarily mean that you don’t know enough of the answers to do well. Give yourself a moment to travel in your mind to a place where you can feel relaxed and safe. Then gently return to your exam, knowing that you will get through this experience.