Examination Fears/Anxiety

Greetings my dear friends of Steemit and Teachers & Students

File:Exams in Jaura, India.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

A little bit of stress and a little bit of fear can actually be a good thing. Like the famous radio broadcaster Edward R. Murrow once said, Without any stress at all, we'd just be apathetic.

Stress means you care. Too much, though, and your health and your performance start to suffer.

I wanna help you mitigate some of the stress and fear that's caused by my exams. I fear I have when exams are around the corner.

Three types of fears I faced at times of exams are the Fear of the Unknown, the Fear of Inadequacy, the feeling that I'm unprepared and not ready for the challenge ahead. And, number three: the Fear of the Stakes, the feeling that everything is riding on this test, and that my life will basically be over if I fail.

The best way to conquer the fear of the unknown is to make the test as much of a known quantity as possible.

It is to simply recreate the test conditions as best I could when I was studying.This means actually going to the location in which I would be tested.

I tried to recreate the time constraints, and maybe even the type of questions I'll be quizzed over, and basically make it a dry run that doesn't really have the high stakes of the actual test.

A lot of students make the mistake of assuming that if the professor didn't readily give out information in class about the test, that they're unwilling to give it out if asked.

This isn't always the case, so if there are aspects of my exam that I'm unclear on, I always asked my professor. I did ask them about the format, what types of questions I'll be asked, true/false, multiple choice, essay style, how long I'll actually have to complete the test, and what sort of materials are allowed in the testing room.

Revision is really important and there's a couple of things I did to make it go more smoothly.

Number one is to go through my notes and the other materials I got throughout the semester and see what areas of the material that I was not really clear on. Knowing my gaps, that allowed me to focus most efficiently on the facts and concepts I really need to solidify in my mind and not waste too much time going over stuff I was already pretty clear on.

The fear of failure is a common experience. It can feel especially heavy in academic settings. Students often feel pressure to succeed. I was also worried about exams, grades, and my future. This pressure turned into fear. It can make learning feel impossible." This has effected me from elementary school to University.

Imagine a student facing a big test. Their heart races. Their palms sweat. They can't focus on the material. This fear is not just an emotion. It's a physical response. When we feel fear, our bodies release stress hormones. These hormones trigger a fight-or-flight response. This response helped our ancestors survive danger.

But it's not helpful for taking tests or learning new things. In fact, this fear response can hijack our brains. It makes it hard to think clearly and remember information. Our brains are too busy dealing with the perceived threat.

This is why understanding the science behind fear is key to overcoming it. Fear and anxiety have a powerful impact on our brains. They activate a region called the amygdala. This area is responsible for processing emotions, especially fear. This alarm triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol floods the body, preparing it to fight or flee. This is helpful in a real emergency. But when it comes to learning, cortisol can be a problem.

High levels of cortisol interfere with the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain responsible for higher-level thinking, planning, and working memory. When cortisol floods the system, the prefrontal cortex can't function at its best.

This explains why students feel stuck during exams. Their working memory is impaired. They struggle to recall information. The fear response has essentially hijacked their ability to think clearly.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution for overcoming fear and anxiety. Despite the challenges, there is hope.

Students can learn to manage fear and anxiety. By understanding the science behind these emotions, they can develop effective coping strategies.

One powerful tool is cognitive reframing. Instead of viewing a test as a threat, students can reframe it as a challenge.

Mindfulness is another valuable practice. By paying attention to the present moment, students can learn to observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment. This can help them detach from negative thought patterns and reduce stress.

Finally, cultivating a growth mindset is essential. Students with a growth mindset view setbacks as temporary and believe their abilities can improve with effort. This positive outlook can boost resilience and motivation.

Thank you for reading my post.

I would like to invite three fellow Steemians to participate in the contest.
@sabbirakib
@edu-chemist
@chiagoziee