Utterly Confused …

Have no Fear.

It is Only a Test

Strategies & Study skills

for

Test Anxiety

Presented by:

Patricia S. Tolbert

Academic Coordinator

Student Support Services

TRIO

Technical College of the

LowCountry

~Sir Winston Churchill~

“Kites rise highest against the wind - not

with it.” Step One – Questioning Yourself.

• Do I worry a lot before taking a test? __

• Does everything has to be in perfect order for me before testing? __

• Do I wait the last minute to study and prepare for tests? __

• Do I get plenty of rest before taking a test? ___

• Do I eat a good-healthy meal before the test? ___

• Do I know the test type? ___

• Do I know the test location? ___

• Do I know the test time? ___

• Do I arrive on time? ___

*Food for Thought:

You will experience test anxiety if there is a lack of

preparation and rest, or poor time management.

~Dale Carnegie~

“If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of

sleep.”

Step Two - Recognizing the Signs of Test Anxiety in Your Body

• Physical Symptoms – rapid/increased heartbeat, nauseous, light headed, sweating, headaches, faintness, dry mouth, tensed muscles, diarrhea, lack of sleep

• Emotional Symptoms – anger, disappointment, helplessness, depressed, out of control … feeling fearful, laughing or cry, lack of sleep

• Behavioral Symptoms – substance abuse, pacing and fidgeting, lack of sleep

• Cognitive Symptoms – difficulty of concentrating, negative thoughts racing through your mind, lack of sleep, fear and the consequence of failure, the dread and fear of negative talk about one’s self, complete blockage of the material, lack of sleep

Causes: poor testing history, bad experience in taking tests, fear or failure of tests, procrastination, perfectionists (finding it hard to accept mistakes) - Effect: Test Anxiety

Test Yourself

Now that you have recognized some of the symptoms of test anxiety the next phase of Step Two is to take 15 minutes of your time and complete an Anxiety Self Test by Psychology Today.

• Copy and Paste the web site below:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/tests (Source: Psychology Today, Sussex

Publishers, LLC)

• Go to …

Anxiety Do stress and anxiety interfere with your life? Take Test

SCHEUDLE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MS. TOLBERT; BRING RESULTS FROM THE TEST WITH YOU TO THE OFFICE

Connecting the Dots

~Charles Frankel~

“Anxiety is the essential condition of intellectual and artistic creation”

What can I do to control test anxiety?

• Be well prepared for the test

• Include self-testing

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle

• Think positively

• Organize what you will need for the test, the night before,

• Get an adequate amount of sleep

• Be sure that you are in the classroom a few minutes early so you do not feel rushed, clear your thoughts and go to your happy place just to relax your mind.

• If you begin to feel anxious during the test-restructure your thoughts and take deep breaths

• When the test is over treat yourself to some quite time if possible

Cognitive Restructuring

• At the Center for Academic Skills at Louisiana State University here are their findings:

• Cognitive restructuring involves exchanging a negative thought process with a rational, balanced message based on reason. For ex.: it would be unrealistic for me to tell you to think, “I love tests.” and I love this topic”, when you don’t. A more effective restructuring would be to say, “Although I have had difficulty with this topic, I have studied the material and am prepared to share my knowledge.”

Change Your Mindset!

• You must be responsible for your own thoughts

• Instead of thinking, “I must get a good grade on this test, my whole future is riding on it”, try to be positive and think this way, “I realize that if I do not do well on this test, it could change my future, but I am releasing myself from this pressure. I have studied hard and believe that I will be successful!”

Test Preparation Tips

• First you should have already read the material. Read it again for clarity.

• Take notes in class as the instructor goes over the material and if she says that you need to pay close attention to certain areas, be sure to highlight it….it will be on the test.

• If there are questions at the end of the chapter, preview those until you can answer them without assistance from the book.

• Review quizzes!!! Be sure that all tests have been corrected.

Your Best Advocate Can Be You!!!

• Don’t let test anxiety control the direction that you go in. You can control it by using the methods we have discussed today. Many people have overcome test anxiety and gone on to become very successful people and I know you can too!

Resources:

• Louisiana State University

• Florida State University

• Educational Testing Services

REMEMBER TO SCHEUDLE AN APPOINTMENT WITH

MS. TOLBERT - 843-470-5057