Anyone who is serious about taking an exam is a little "keyed up. " The adrenaline helps the student to concentrate and focus on the task. When the level of stress starts to interfere with performance, it is time to take action. Often, what is called "test anxiety " is brought about by lack of preparation and poor test-taking skills. If not dealt with, the student may become resigned to, "Why should I study? I'll just fail anyway. "

Test Anxiety is the condition in which the fear of failure is so great that it impedes the student's ability to demonstrate what he/she knows. Test anxiety can have many causes - lack of adequate preparation, prior bad experiences, lack of self-confidence are just three of them. Telling them to relax and not worry really doesn't help.

TO RELIEVE TEST ANXIETY:

1. Preparation

 

2. During the test

 

Managing Stress

MAKING STRESS WORK FOR YOU!!

College Conference Manual

So you want to go to college. You are a high school junior or senior. And if one more person tells you these are the best years of your life, you'll scream! You have to raise your average, pick a college, select a major, apply, get in, get a job, clean your room, juggle school work, a social life, and school activities. And this is easy? What you really have is STRESS. You call it anxiety, frustration, tension, nerves. But what is stress really? And, more importantly, what can you do about it?

The word "stress" is a misnomer. While people usually think of stress as something to avoid, stress can be positive or negative. Stress is not the result of working too hard It is not the work that were you out-it's the frustration that goes with it. When people say they are under stress, what they really mean is that they are under excessive stress or "distress". Distress is damaging or unpleasant stress, or can be the result of prolonged or unvaried stress. The key issue in every stressful situation is control. When you feel you are losing control, you experience stress. For example, if you have problems at home, at work, in school, and with friends, you experience distress. Or if you experience one problem over a long period of time, like a prolonged illness or an ongoing family problem like alcoholism, you experience distress, too. What eventually happens is that your body breaks down in some way such as by getting a headache or stomach ache, not being able to sleep or eat, becoming edgy or tearful and so on. Often you don't know why because you don't connect your physical symptoms with the pressures form school or home. But if you ignore these minor signals for a long time, you can get very ill either physically or mentally.

You can, however, do something about negative stress. You can manage stress by modifying your behavior so that you regain some level of control in your life. Try to follow some of these suggestions:

1. Listen to your body --- Become aware of those parts of your body that signal stress (pursed eyebrow, tightened jaw, clenched hands) and then concentrate on relaxing those parts.

2. Spend time with positive people--Surround yourself as often as possible with people who accept you for yourself, have your best interests in mind, and with whom you can relax in healthy ways.

3. Set priorities and realistic goals-You can't do it all, and you can't do it all in one day. Make a priority list for the day or week and complete the most important task first.

4. Communicate your feelings, express yourself using messages (not "You made me. bottle up your feelings. They are only going to come out as misplaced anger or a headache.

5. Change your routine or activity - If you did something physically strenuous all day, do something restful like reading or listening to music. If you sat in class all day, take a brisk walk or some other exercise. Stress on one system relieves stress on another. It's a balance.

6. Replenish-Involve yourself in activities that are nourishing to your mind and body: exercise, work at a hobby, laugh eat properly, get adequate rest, etc.

7. Don't be afraid to seek help-If you are feeling overwhelmed, then by all means seek out the help of a trusted family member, teacher, or counselor. There are times for each of us when it is necessary to ask for help. Do it!

8. Some don'ts--Avoid drugs or alcohol. Chemicals do not solve problems. Once the drug wears off, the problem remains, only you have the effects of the drug to contend with also. Avoid caffeine and nicotine while you are at it.

Finally remember that you live in a stressful world. This won't change, but you can. Practice some of the techniques listed above. Then you can begin to make stress work for you. As a result, the time you spend preparing for life after high school can be less stressful and more fun!

How to Become a Good Student

WHAT DOES A GOOD STUDENT DO?