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By: Charles Jones on Thu Mar 20, 2008

It’s exam time, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been hitting the books as well as hitting a wall – a stumbling block of stress and anxiety that can manifest itself in something as small as the jitters, as serious as feeling paralyzed, or as drop-dead scary as a panic attack.

Modest stress can often motivate us to study for the exam, but excessive stress may be too big a barrier for the student to overcome, and leave her or him unprepared, confused, and horrified.

Thankfully, there are various ways to tackle stress, even if you’re not a student, but are preparing for an exam to be conducted at work, for a driver’s license, professional certification or for entrance into a trade organization. (Those undergoing prostate examinations may be exempt from some of the tips below.) Exams speak to our deep desire as humans to be vindicated, to be found worthy, and capable. Fear of failure and insecurity about our worth as human beings, but I’ll leave that for a therapist to sort out, and just concentrate on some practical ways to tackle stress first.

It’s important to realize that pre-exam nerves are not only felt by the unprepared – in fact, studies seem to indicate that it’s the well-prepared and brilliant who most experience pre-exam anxiety. Symptoms of exam anxiety can range from blanking out, shaking, inability to concentrate, a feeling of nausea, and a feeling of being overwhelmed and lacking control. In more extreme cases, some even faint.

The root of many of these symptoms is often the undue amount of pressure to live up to expectations, both self-imposed and from parents, loved ones, or other figures that the student has some measure of regard for. In that case, the following tips – whether it be deep breathing or simple preparation, may only temporarily help the exam taker, and the problems may continue to surface, or even magnify with time. In such cases of extreme stress and anxiety, it will be necessary to seek help from a licensed professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist and undergo treatment.


Some ways to deal with stress:
Schedule!
Make a study schedule and stick to it, and make sure you include time to relax. Over-studying can have effects almost as detrimental as not studying at all. I recommend breaking your studying into manageable increments – 15 minutes of studying, interspersed with 5 minute breaks. Knowing that there’s a break ahead will keep you focused.

Be Realistic
Chances are that you’ve spent most of your life in school, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know exactly what you’re capable of. If you’re an average student, you’re not likely to be gracing the Dean’s List. Keeping this in perspective will prevent both you and your parents from that crushing sense of disappointment that occasionally and unfortunately accompanies your exam results. Just do your best, and be proud of that.

No Sex, Drugs Or Rock n’ Roll
Getting high now soon means getting low. Dealing with stress with liberal doses of alcohol or recreational drugs is, apart from anything else, rather counter-productive, considering you’re using that same grey matter to perform complicated tasks in a time-sensitive situation. It’s a good idea to stay away from coffee, too – caffeine doesn’t actually help you concentrate, but drinking plenty of water will hydrate you, keep you alert, and help your brain to function.

Keep Notes!
Just reading straight for hours will not help you remember much at all. Write out key facts, figures, dates and passages; colour-code your notes and underline phrases of particular importance. Return to the notes often, and you’ll find that you’ll remember more than you thought, feel more confident, and perform better.

Dry Runs
Try doing some practice tests – either do it yourself (flash cards help, if there’s vocabulary or rote memorization) or ask someone else to test you. Siblings that might take a particular delight in watching you stumble are often powerful motivators. Testing will help you notice any gaps in your knowledge that might need to be filled in prior to the actual exam.

Remind yourself
Stick notes around your house. Thank God for post-it notes. Pick up a pack of these, write important facts, phrases, dates and what not on them and paste them all over your bedroom or house, preferably in places where you’ll constantly be reminded of their presence, like the mirror, you narcissist.

Ignore Your Friends
Don’t use your friends as a benchmark for studying progress – sometimes even the most straight-laced of us tend to exaggerate our accomplishments or mask our lack thereof. Know yourself and what you have to do – it’s all for you, after all!

Get Some Help
We all get overwhelmed, and if you feel you can’t deal, there’s no shame in using any of the sources of support available. Teachers are there to help, as well as teaching assistants, school counselors, and if you need to vent, why not talk a bit to your mother or father about their school experiences? Remember that this isn’t a totally unique situation – many others have been through what you’re experiencing!

Get Exercise
If you’re feeling physically run-down by studying, it might seem counter-intuitive when all you want to do is shut your eyes and pull the covers over your head, but exercise can actually help you relax and maximize your attention span. No marathons, naturally, but jogging for a quarter of an hour or a brisk walk can do far in putting you back on track.

All in all, just try to be balanced, and best of luck in your exams!