Exam Time at FEIA! Tips for Coping with Anxiety

By Michael Clarkson

It’s nearly June -- time to be tested!

Even at a respected academic school like FEIA, students tend to have anxiety about exams. It’s in our nature as humans.

As I told students from Grades 9 through 11 recently in presentations (with help from our guidance counsellor Adam Nash), it’s ok to be worried. If you’re not a little nervous with added energy and adrenaline, you can come up flat.

Pressures on students abound -- to pass our curriculum, to have a chance for a college or university scholarship, and, yes, sometimes we feel pressure to please our parents, teachers, peers and ultimately ourselves.

As an authority on anxiety and stress, I give you some tips for the days leading up to your tests:

• Put your fears into your preparation with study, not cramming.
• Visualize yourself studying, taking the test and scoring well.
• As Mr. Nash says, talk with your teacher about the test beforehand. Perhaps have a friend test you.
• Prepare your mind-body with good diet, sleep and exercise. When we are balanced, we react to challenges better.
• For 12 to 24 hours before the exam, do not look at your notes. Trust your preparation. If you don’t know your stuff by then, it’s too late.
• Go for a long walk by the Niagara River.

On Exam Day!

• Listen to your favourite music leading up to the exam.
• Skim through the test to identify its difficulty. Be confident you’re up to the task. Begin with easier questions to gain momentum.
• Don’t panic if you feel somewhat nervous. We become different people under pressure as our fight-or-flight system kicks in to meet a challenge. Regulate this response by trusting yourself. You are an academic athlete.
• If you are overly nervous, use deep breathing techniques or mantras to calm yourself. Whenever I have doubts, I scold myself: “Shhhhh! You can do this!”
• As in athletics, focus dispassionately on the process, not the potential results.
• If you get stuck on a question, circle it and return to it later.
• When finished, let it go. You have no control over how it’s marked.

Overall, when you are prepared, trust what you have done. And remember that you are already a student at a high-performance academic and athletic institution. You must be good.

If these strategies do not work and you continue to have serious anxiety issues when it’s time for exams, don’t be afraid to see a teacher, counsellor or therapist. Seeking help when you need it is not a weakness. It’s a strategy.

As Mr. Nash points out, when it’s all over, reward yourself with a treat, something special. You deserve it. Plan something nice for your summer.

Have a happy and successful June!