Every year millions of people of all ages have to sit examinations of one type or another. A surprisingly large percentage of those people suffer from examination anxiety. Some find themselves with fairly mild symptoms and generally feel stressed, whilst others simply cannot cope and will eventually need professional help. However the one thing that all of those people have in common is that their examination anxiety symptoms start small and then build up. If you think that you are starting to feel the symptoms of examination anxiety then read on for a list of the top 5 ways to beat them.
1. Panic that you have not done enough revision and that you simply do not know enough about the subject is a very common symptom of examination anxiety and one that affects a very large percentage of people. The best way to beat this is to work out a schedule of revision in plenty of time. However there is such a thing as over revising and this could actually make your examination anxiety (eksamensangst is the term in Danish) worse. So within your schedule build in plenty of breaks and days off. You may feel like this is wasting time, but in actual fact you are allowing yourself to absorb the information that you are revising and you will then be much more likely to remember what you need to on the day.
2. If you feel pressured then you need to sort out where it is coming from. If your parents or those around you are expecting too much from you then you need to tell them. If you do not feel that you can do that yourself ask a friend or relative to explain how you are feeling. In most cases you will find that the people concerned were actually just trying to be supportive and had no idea of how they are making you feel.
3. It is really important that you get a good night’s sleep before an exam and if you are struggling to switch your mind off then it may be worth talking to your doctor. They will be able to recommend an herbal remedy that will help you relax and drift off into a normal sleep. This will mean that you will not have that ‘dazed’ feeling when you wake the next morning. Also set your alarm to wake you up in plenty of time. This will allow you to get ready at your own pace rather than rush around and start the morning stressed. As much as you may not feel like it, try and eat some breakfast even if it is just a piece of fruit or a slice of toast. This will help calm your stomach and give your body something to work on.
4. When you are waiting to go into the exam try not to fixate on what you will be doing too much. Talk to others about general things rather than how you are all feeling and what will be coming up. If you feel your examination anxiety symptoms start to take hold, then move somewhere that you can have some air and space and breathe deeply.
5. Finally you need to ensure that you do not place an unreasonable amount of pressure or expectation on yourself. Exams are important and we all want to do well and pass on the first try. However they are not a life or death situation and you can always take them again at a later date if you need to.