Some Great Tips To Overcome Exam Phobia

If you are like many students, you may do great while sitting in class listening to a lecture or taking your class online. However, when taking an exam, you may freeze up with fear and fail to remember facts and figures you learned along the way. As a result, your grades take a tumble and your anxiety increases. Known as exam phobia, what you are suffering from is an irrational fear and thinking process which sets off a chain of events inside your brain that leads you to tense up and forget what you need to know for the exam. However, you are not alone. In fact, many students overcome exam phobia, and you can too by keeping the following tips in mind.

Replace Irrational Fear with Rational Thinking

As soon as you have the exam in front of you and the irrational thoughts and fears start coming along like a locomotive, stop them immediately by thinking rationally. After all, you’ve gotten great grades in the class, have studied hard for the exam, and know the material backwards and forwards. By telling yourself this over and over, you’ll gain the self-confidence needed to get the “A” you know is waiting for you.

Visualize Yourself being Successful

One of the most popular techniques used for relaxation and success prior to a big event, visualization is used by star athletes, actors and actresses, musicians, and countless other people. If you want to use this technique, do it when your wake up on exam day. By taking a few minutes to sit quietly and picture yourself taking the exam and getting a high grade, you can re-train your mind and body to realize there is no reason to fear taking the exam.

Know Your Triggers

For many students, the simplest thing may trigger their exam phobia. As an example, some students focus on the slightest of noises, such as another student tapping a pencil on a desk or turning the pages of their exam. If you are letting little things bother you and trigger your exam phobia, you can overcome this by practicing at home. Once you make note of your triggers, you can conduct simulated exams at home and practice tuning out everything around you. Once you learn how to do this, an “A” is yours for the taking.

Don’t Dwell on the Past

If you have had a few bad experiences with your exams, dwelling on those negative experiences will only make your exam phobia that much worse. Like a golfer who has to move on after missing a short putt or a receiver who drops a sure touchdown pass in the end zone, the most successful people are those who have short memories regarding negative situations. If you can put those bad exams out of your mind and realize you have a new opportunity to do something great, you’ll fare much better.

Talk About Your Fears

As stated earlier, you are not the only student who has trouble taking exams. If you are willing to talk about your exam troubles with others, chances are you will find some of your friends and classmates are having the same problems. By getting together and creating an informal support group, you will have a safe way to talk about what bothers you and get some ideas as to how you can overcome the problem.

While it may not happen overnight, saying goodbye to exam phobia is possible. By studying hard, confronting your fears head-on, and using some or all of these tips, your exam fear will soon be nothing but a distant memory.