5 Tips for Dealing With Pre-exam Anxiety
It’s hard to find a student who has never been worried about exams. Whether it’s the extra worries of a perfectionist or the fear of failure of a student who ditched studies for some time, it all comes to one and the same thing, and it’s called anxiety.
The savviest students have it all sorted out beforehand. They schedule the exam preparation in the middle of the term, find an online essay writing service, and so on. So, while an essay writing service works on their tasks, they are able to concentrate on the stuff only they can and have to do anyway. Yet, for those who don’t have a time-proven strategy, here’s our small guide that will help one overcome pre-exam anxiety.
Don’t Stretch Yourself Thin
Anxiety often comes from a lack of confidence. And the best way to be confident in your knowledge and readiness for the upcoming exam is to be actually ready. So, focus on your top priority, which in this case, is obviously earning a decent grade. To be able to do that with a clear conscience, you need all the rest of your tasks done.
For example, a number of written assignments with looming deadlines may distract you. So, go through EssayPro reviews before deciding to order essay, look for the best academic writers, and let an expert deal with your paper(s). It is also important that you cancel or reschedule some meetings, chores, and trips that will make you waste your time and that you will not be able to enjoy knowing that you could have spent this time revising the exam material.
Develop a Plan
The whole preparation for an exam may seem a terrible process because of the amount of information to revise and, sometimes, even learn from scratch. Yet, all of it is manageable with the right approach. All you need is a plan and SMART goals. This way, your mind will have fewer reasons to worry that you won’t make it in time.
First, split the topics into those you’re already good at, those you’ve studied a bit, and those you’ve never dealt with. The latter should be your top priority and come first. As soon as you learn what you didn’t know, do not push yourself into remembering all of it at once. Proceed with other topics and repeat the most complex ones after some time. Revision is your best friend.
Also, when splitting the exam material into chunks and creating a kind of schedule, do not forget to include time for rest, chores, and unpredictable issues that may happen. For instance, your latest paper may be sent for revision by your teacher. So, you must be ready to work on it. And if you spare some time for it beforehand, it won’t add more stress.
Develop a Plan B
Having a plan is not a guarantee of success, but it does give you more confidence and reduces anxiety. Yet, the latter may also be triggered by an unexpected turn of events, and that is what you might need to take into account to keep a cool head.
SMART goals mentioned before will be of great help in this case, especially if you write them down. For instance, “if I realize that I won’t make it in time, I’ll find the best research paper writing services and hire an essay writer to submit the paper by the deadline” is a great plan B. It describes:
- a tough situation
- a condition on which you need to act
- a way out of the situation
- and a goal, actually – to submit the paper by the deadline.
Talk to a Professional
For some people, anxiety is not just about some worries, it’s a sentence, a ban from proper social interactions. Those who suffer from anxiety disorder do not always know what is happening to them, so they just shut out. These are only some of the reasons to visit a neurologist and a counselor:
- trouble breathing
- frequent minor illnesses that do not last long and/or can’t be clinically diagnosed (a sign of a weakened immune system)
- regular headaches
- gastrointestinal issues
- absence of all those symptoms above when you’re alone or with the closest people you trust and don’t have to go anywhere in the nearest time
- fear of death or suggestions that you’re terribly ill
- repeating panic attacks (when one thinks they are going to die from a heart attack or something else)
There are numerous other symptoms of psychosomatic disturbances that disrupt one’s life and, in the case of pre-exam anxiety, may even stand in the way of passing the exam despite the solid knowledge of the subject. As a result, one’s self-esteem may suffer even more, and this process may turn into a vicious cycle.
However, what you need to remember is that your head messing with you like this is a typical problem of modern people. So, addressing a neurologist is a step forward to alleviating physical symptoms, and counseling is the best way to look inside your head and fight anxious thoughts. These two work just perfectly when combined together.
Try Breathing Techniques
Anxiety can be dealt with from different approaches. The most effective one is to get it sorted out by resolving your personal issues. As soon as those disappear, there will be no pressure on your conscience, hence no symptoms that will disturb you and suppress your breathing which is actually the first thing that gets disrupted when anxiety kicks in.
Well, dealing with “all” the issues is easier said than done – it is a long and never-ending process. So, even if you’re already in the middle of it, you are still vulnerable to anxiety attacks. But there is a way to overcome them.
If you can’t solve your main problem, pay attention to how deep and slow your breaths are. Try to make them even less shallow and slower. Even 5 minutes of proper breathing will help you get back to reality and calm down. The thing is, proper breathing is the core sign of a calm mind. It is so simple and yet underestimated, even these days when there are talks about yoga and similar practices at every corner.
Takeaway
Keep in mind that all of the tips above are purely practical steps you need to start with. However, later, overcoming any kind of anxiety may require abstract thinking, diving deep into your memories, and analyzing them, which may be harder to do without help. That is why working with a professional therapist is extremely recommended. And don’t forget to breathe!