Test Anxiety: Don"t Let Jitters Ruin Your Grades
Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety that affects students of all ages and occurs immediately before, during and after a quiz, test or exam.
Like other types of anxiety, the frequency and severity of ranges from moderate to debilitating; in the most serious cases, students become physically ill, unable to attend school as a result of their anxiety and fear.
How Common is It? While test anxiety can occur at any age or grade level, it is especially prevalent among high school students.
Experts believe that young adults are at the highest risk of due to a combination of factors; the pressures of achieving high marks to achieve acceptance into college, stresses related to family and peer relationships, and the physical, hormonal changes young adults experience throughout their teen years.
Most students experience some level of nerves or worry during their educational career.
Feelings of nervousness and uncertainty combined with physical symptoms like sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat are common among students, especially those facing major exams like finals or the SATs.
Symptoms The symptoms of are similar to panic attacks and other anxiety disorders and can include:
Students today are under a great deal of pressure to perform; pressure from parents, siblings, teachers and peers.
While some pressure to achieve good marks can be helpful, too much pressure can feel overwhelming, leading the student to feel the stressful physical effects and emotional discomfort associated with test anxiety.
The Effects Just like an athlete who experiences a surge of anxiety before stepping onto the field for a big game, many students get a burst of energy right before they sit down to take a test, quiz or exam.
This is usually a good thing, since this heightened level of alertness helps to increase self-confidence, leading to better test results.
However, for some students their pre-test energy is excessive, leading to serious consequences for the students.
Some students who experience test anxiety are so overwhelmed with thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms that they are completely unable to complete their tests or exams.
Can It Be Prevented? Eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting plenty of rest is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the rigors of school.
Tests and exams can be physically and emotionally grueling; fuel up with lean proteins, fruits and veggies.
Blow of some stress by going for a run or playing a game of soccer.
Talk to your friends, family members and teachers about how you're feeling about your tests and exams - chances are good, they've been where you are now.
Try to avoid consuming excessive sugars and stimulants like caffeine and energy drinks - while these products can sometimes help you power through an all-night study session, they can also leave you feeling jittery and lead to a sudden crash in your energy levels, making the symptoms of test anxiety worse.
Planning ahead can also help cut test anxiety - many schools offer study skills courses and groups to help students prepare for tests and exams, cutting down on last-minute cramming and fear that you've forgotten to study important material.
Recommended Treatments Test anxiety can be successfully treated using drug-free anxiety treatments like talk therapy and hypnotherapy.
The goal of these short-term, solution-focused treatments is to help the student understand the root cause of their fears about academic tests, leading to the development of personalized coping strategies that challenge their debilitating thoughts.
With effective treatment, students will learn how to manage the stress of tests and exams, turning their fears into fuel for their success.
Like other types of anxiety, the frequency and severity of ranges from moderate to debilitating; in the most serious cases, students become physically ill, unable to attend school as a result of their anxiety and fear.
How Common is It? While test anxiety can occur at any age or grade level, it is especially prevalent among high school students.
Experts believe that young adults are at the highest risk of due to a combination of factors; the pressures of achieving high marks to achieve acceptance into college, stresses related to family and peer relationships, and the physical, hormonal changes young adults experience throughout their teen years.
Most students experience some level of nerves or worry during their educational career.
Feelings of nervousness and uncertainty combined with physical symptoms like sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat are common among students, especially those facing major exams like finals or the SATs.
Symptoms The symptoms of are similar to panic attacks and other anxiety disorders and can include:
- Sweaty palms and body chills.
- Nausea, diarrhea, stomachache and heartburn.
- Headaches, particularly tension headaches and pain behind the eyes.
- An elevated heart rate.
- Feeling dizzy and disorientated.
- Difficulty sitting still; feeling restless and fidgety.
- Nervous laughter and immature, silly behavior.
- A sense of impending doom.
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering simple things; going 'blank'.
- Strong feelings of anger, fear, or helplessness.
- A sense of sadness, sometimes accompanied by crying.
Students today are under a great deal of pressure to perform; pressure from parents, siblings, teachers and peers.
While some pressure to achieve good marks can be helpful, too much pressure can feel overwhelming, leading the student to feel the stressful physical effects and emotional discomfort associated with test anxiety.
The Effects Just like an athlete who experiences a surge of anxiety before stepping onto the field for a big game, many students get a burst of energy right before they sit down to take a test, quiz or exam.
This is usually a good thing, since this heightened level of alertness helps to increase self-confidence, leading to better test results.
However, for some students their pre-test energy is excessive, leading to serious consequences for the students.
Some students who experience test anxiety are so overwhelmed with thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms that they are completely unable to complete their tests or exams.
Can It Be Prevented? Eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting plenty of rest is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the rigors of school.
Tests and exams can be physically and emotionally grueling; fuel up with lean proteins, fruits and veggies.
Blow of some stress by going for a run or playing a game of soccer.
Talk to your friends, family members and teachers about how you're feeling about your tests and exams - chances are good, they've been where you are now.
Try to avoid consuming excessive sugars and stimulants like caffeine and energy drinks - while these products can sometimes help you power through an all-night study session, they can also leave you feeling jittery and lead to a sudden crash in your energy levels, making the symptoms of test anxiety worse.
Planning ahead can also help cut test anxiety - many schools offer study skills courses and groups to help students prepare for tests and exams, cutting down on last-minute cramming and fear that you've forgotten to study important material.
Recommended Treatments Test anxiety can be successfully treated using drug-free anxiety treatments like talk therapy and hypnotherapy.
The goal of these short-term, solution-focused treatments is to help the student understand the root cause of their fears about academic tests, leading to the development of personalized coping strategies that challenge their debilitating thoughts.
With effective treatment, students will learn how to manage the stress of tests and exams, turning their fears into fuel for their success.
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