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20 Ways to Cope with Test Anxiety

by Katherine West

Whether your child is in elementary school, high school, or even college, these tips can help your child ace that big test. There are so many common sense tricks, as well as revolutionary techniques that can help a child score well on his or her next test. Many times, a student just needs to relax, which in turn, increases his or her ability to concentrate. Try to keep in mind that these tips have helped both the learning disabled and average student become top-notch students. These are techniques that anyone can do. You too can learn new ways to help your child score the highest possible grade on that next exam!

Does your child know the material when you quiz them, but he or she isn't able to show it on the exam? Well, this often is because of test anxiety. Many people get very nervous before that big test. Relaxation and breathing techniques prior to the test may help your child cope with the stress that an exam can cause. These are learned strategies that can enable children to help themselves by using a self-relaxation exercise to relax.

Here is a step by step guide on how to relax and exactly what to do right before that big test:

1. Be well prepared for the test. When we are very sure of the subject matter, we are much more confident.
2. Get a good night of sleep the night prior to the test. (At least 7-8 hours)
3. Eat a healthy breakfast that is high in protein.
4. Before you walk into your class that you are being tested in, take a few very deep breaths. (Arrive at least five minutes prior to test time.) Hold each one for around ten seconds. Count to ten slowly while you tell yourself that you will fare well on the test.
5. After the deep breathing exercise, walk about the hallway for a minute or so while shaking your hands, while clenching and unclenching your fingers. (This is much like a person shakes his or her hands when they are numb or "asleep".)
6. Smile!
7. Think positively.
8. When the test is handed out, scan the pages, looking for things that you know very well.
9. Answer the questions that you definitely know first.
10. Mark the questions that you aren't sure of with a small mark to the left side in the margin. This will hasten your ability to go back to these questions in an efficient manner.

What is the best way to prepare for a test?

Actually, the best type of study is well-paced study. Students that read the material and take notes in class regularly achieve good grades, but those students that rehearse the info or study daily receive the highest possible grades. Too many students only study an hour or so right before the big exam. Sadly, this rarely works. The student that spends even five or ten minutes studying every few days will consistently obtain much higher grades. This is because studying more often makes the material more familiar to your brain, making the retrieval time for your memory much faster. The optimum study strategy is a person that studies for about fifteen minutes on each subject every day. This added exposure to the topic helps the brain's ability to remember the facts more quickly.

Should I cram before that big final?

Contrary to popular belief, cramming for a test doesn't help you to achieve higher scores. Many college students are known for pulling "all-nighters". This is also a very bad decision. Rest is much more important to your success than any amount of studying the night prior to a test. Yes, the student that stays up all night may do a mediocre job of learning and may also score a decent grade, but with a good night's sleep he or she will achieve a much higher grade on the test. You just may be surprised what can help you much, much more- rest. That's right. Psychological studies have determined that rest is a very important factor. Get a good night's sleep before that big exam and your brain will function better. People that have at least seven hours prior to a test are reported to have higher levels of achievement. A good diet is another important factor. Eat a good breakfast before any test, but keep in mind that a very large meal immediately before a test may not be a good idea. A high carbohydrate meal may make you tired and less able to concentrate. A high-protein meal is a much better choice before an exam.

Should I study at school?

Where you study doesn't really matter, as long as it is the same place most of the time. The best plan for any student is to have a very specific place that they do all of their studying. The familiarity of a study spot helps the brain and the body work together to relax you and it also cues you that it is now time to learn.

Should my study space be quiet?

This place should be a quiet one that is well lit and comfortable. The area should also have a positive atmosphere. This can differ depending on your preferences. Of course, some psychological studies have shown that soothing, classical music like Beethoven or the sounds of nature- a brook babbling or birds' chirping- can help students to achieve even higher grades. There is a positive correlation between this type of music and higher grades. Some top students listen to relaxing music, others listen to rock, and even some have been known to have the TV droning in the background. It just depends on what works for you.

What will help my ability to concentrate while reading?

Yes, many students have trouble concentrating on sometimes very boring material. What helps many people succeed in retaining the reading material is making the information apply to them. Make it important to you. For instance, if you are learning about famous mathematicians, try to make their lives take on a more personal meaning. Think about what your life would be like if the calculator were never invented. If you are reading about inventors, imagine what the world would be like without television or computers. If you are learning about blunders in history, try to see how this information will help you learn from the world's mistakes. Use the knowledge!

Another good tip is to ask yourself mental questions about what you are reading. Stop every ten minutes or so and think about what you've read. By doing this, you are instilling a curiosity- a thirst for knowledge.

You see, the brain can not read for more than about fifteen minutes straight without getting rather numbed by the rote, droning process. Get up and walk around. Grab a snack or a drink. Walk the dog or check your email and then go back to studying

I get so nervous before a test and forget things that I know! What can I do?

The night before the test, tell yourself that you will be calm and self-assured before your test. Program your mind to quickly give you the answers. Tell yourself that tests are fun and challenging. Repeat these thoughts several times just before falling off to sleep. This is a psychological technique that can be employed to help anyone be more productive, relaxed, and confident in almost any situation. This is a sort of self-programming. There are some very revolutionary studies being conducted on this technique currently. Programming yourself in this manner can be used to help "program" your brain almost as if it were a computer. Use this method for almost any obstacle that may block your path.

Other tricks and tips for higher scores:

1. Be sure to ask specific questions of your instructor about the material that will be covered on the test.
2. Read all of the material at least once and then re-read for clarity.
3. Take detailed notes in class.
4. Use a highlighter to mark important facts both in your notes and in your text if this is allowed.
5. If you are a college student, it is much better to mark directly in your book. (Most college bookstores still buy books back that have highlighted passages.)
6. Use flashcards to quiz yourself.
7. Have a friend, parent, or spouse test you on the material.
8. Create a sample test for you to "practice" taking the exam.
9. Use various mnemonic techniques. (To learn more about this, you can either check your local library or does an Internet search for learning tips and mnemonic methods.) Some of these are rhymes or acronyms. "Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November..." is one example of a mnemonic.
10. Think of tests as fun and challenging ways to get feedback about how well you have mastered the material. Make it a sort of contest!

Copyright Katherine West 2001

Classroom Tips for Your ADD Child

Positive Traits of ADD and Famous People with ADD
by Katherine West

Since we normally only hear the negative aspects of ADD-ADHD, I decided to list the positive qualities that most ADD-ADHD people possess. Although some of these qualities may lean toward ADD or ADHD separately, overall most people with this disorder fit very closely with almost all of these personality types. As I promised in an earlier column, here is the list of positive attributes that people with this disorder possess.

The 23 Positive Traits of ADD and/or ADHD:

Extremely intelligent

Adaptable to change (they try new things)

Energetic

Visionaries or dreamers

Humble

Resilient

Hardworking

Athletic

Imaginative

Creative

Fun-loving

Very optimistic

Humorous

Determined

Insightful

Very visual

Trusting

Open-minded

Deeply compassionate

Artistic

Passionate

Sensitive

Verbally advanced

Mechanically inclined or very kinesthetic

There are many celebrities, scholars, writers, scientists, musicians, writers, athletes, generals in the military, presidents, and even royalty who are now thought to have been ADD-ADHD or are currently ADD-ADHD. Many doctors and lawyers are also ADD or ADHD. The following is a list of just a few of these very famous people who used their high energy and creativity to become successful adults. What would our world be like if they had been labeled, ridiculed, and discounted as troublemakers or hyper?

Famous People with ADD and/or ADHD

Einstein

Leonardo DaVinci

Socrates

Mozart

Beethoven

Alexander Graham Bell

Orville and Wilbur Wright

Steven Spielberg

Henry David Thoreau

Woodrow Wilson

Bill Cosby

Edgar Allen Poe

Nolan Ryan

John F. Kennedy

Thomas Edison

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Whoopi Goldberg

Ernest Hemingway

Dustin Hoffman

Abraham Lincoln

Galileo

William Randolph Hearst

George Bernard Shaw

Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat

Ann Bancroft

Magic Johnson

John Lennon

Nostradamus

John D. Rockafeller

Michael Jordan

Pete Rose

Bruce Jenner

Napoleon

General George Patton

Pablo Picasso

Babe Ruth

Harry Belafonte

George Burns

Andrew Carnegie

Salvador Dali

Bill Crosby

Dwight D. Eisenhower

William Butler Yeats

Prince Charles

Louis Carroll

Louis Pasteur

The world laughed at many of these people. The Wright Brothers were told by townspeople in the Ohio town that they lived in that they were nuts if they thought they could make their contraption fly. Einstein was told that he was stupid, and he would never learn. What do all of these people have in common? Not only did they have ADD-ADHD, but they also changed the world. If you are ADD and/or ADHD or your child is, show them this list. What would our world be like if we never dared to dream? What would it be like if we never wanted to be different? Embrace your differences and strive to change the world!

Copyright Katherine West 2000-2001

Creativity and Health: What Side of your Brain is in use Today?

By Katherine West

Have you ever had one of those days where your thoughts raced, thinking of a zillion great ideas? Do you have days where you make up lists and get a week's worth of work done in a few short hours? Well, let's find out why.

A person who is primarily right-brained is very visual, while a person that is more left-brained is normally very logical and analytical. Although, many times we use both sides of our brain, sometimes our dominant side (right for most creative and artistic people) or our left side (primarily responsible for analytical and organized thought patterns) has taken over. Some people that are more whole-brained are able to switch between the two different sides of their brains more rapidly. Many times these are creative artists and writers.

Most of these people that are equally right-brained and left-brained have a daily battle for control going on in their heads. Part of them wants to do the normal and expected thing- the logical one. The other part longs to just let it all hang out and do a much more unconventional and creative thing. Many whole-brained people are plagued by this, because their thinking is so very split.

You see the majority of people are either primarily left-brained or primarily right-brained. Many times people that are ambidextrous or were as a child are wired this way. Each decision is a fight. The right side of our brain wants us to brainstorm and just flow, but the left side of our brain is urging us to get the facts and stay focused.

By learning to detect which mode your brain is in on a particular day, you can get much accomplished. If you are just having many random thoughts with no rhyme or reason, the right side of your brain is dictating to you. If you are hung up on details or maybe frustration, usually your left side is to blame. How do you get a good combo of both? Learn to recognize the two different modes of your writing.

Once you notice the difference and stop trying to fight it, but embrace it, you will find the middle road. On a right-brained day you may muse and daydream, planning things for the future. On other days you will get so much accomplished, because the left-brain side is in charge. Always remember to ask yourself what mode you are in on a given day. I bet that you've also had those days when you couldn't even manage to cook dinner let alone organize your tax documents. (These usually occur right at tax time.) When you know what side of the brain you are using on a given day, you will be more in touch with your current mode of thinking.

Set yourself a goal and then go achieve it. This is so rewarding for anyone, but especially a writer. This is one of the best ways to become a disciplined writer. Set yourself a deadline and then meet it. Write-offs help so much with this. If you are curious about write-offs sponsored by various groups at Themestream, you may email me by using the link at the bottom of the page. Setting goals can push you that extra little bit that you need. Obtaining my writing goals is one of my best assets. When I want to achieve a goal, I make a detailed plan, and then I do my best to accomplish it. Like an experienced sailor, I stay steadily on course, only deviating from my plan when a stumbling block hinders my path.

Focus and determination can give a writer an advantage while attempting any writing assignment. I believe that recognizing our weaknesses and then overcoming them is the key to any writer's success. You will soon find that you're getting much more done in any given day. This will mean much less frustration and a better sense of accomplishment in all facets of your life, especially for a writer. Now quit thinking and start writing!
Copyright Katherine West 2000-2001
 
 

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