Test Taking Anxiety

[Farmerboy]

My psychological advice to anyone facing a situation wherein they might be nervous is to NOT THINK ABOUT IT! Think about something totally unrelated, like, say, chocolate. Don't think about those Frightfully Tough Questions you might encounter. Think about something, like, say, new shoes. Getting the picture? When those scary thoughts pop into your mind tell yourself, "Yeah, sure, maybe I'll be nervous later but I don't have to be nervous RIGHT NOW" and go read a book or do something that forces your brain in another direction.

Summary: Listening to your fears ahead of time only makes things worse. Don't do it.

This is so true and really works! For my senior recital I used these same "brain tricks" and wasn't ever nervous. Sometimes we all have to take back our minds and make them focus on the positive.

I do think butterflies in the stomach are normal between the end of the test and hitting the report scores button! I got an adrenalin high every time!