Combating the Inevitable Exam Stress

Finals and midterm stress is virtually universal among high school students. In fact, if you're in the throes of finals, a little stress may be inevitable. Hectic study schedules, exam anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm are common around this time. And, because stress can make it more difficult to think clearly and remember facts easily, heavy levels of stress can be counter-productive for students. Given that our graduating class is now counting down days to the “school leaving exams” and all of our other students are franticly scheduling all mid-term exams, I can easily say that the school is walking on “egg shells.”

Fortunately, there are things students can do to effectively manage this stress--or make things worse! Cigarettes and beer make it worse – trust me… J Be sure you're doing the right things to keep stress at bay.

Often students ask me what is the best way to study and study well… my answer is: Learn What Works For You. Combating test anxiety, getting enough sleep...

But the most important things is to avoid all kinds of possible self-sabotage. Students often unwittingly make things more difficult for themselves by making common mistakes when studying for exams. Knowing what works, and what might make things more difficult, can help you avoid common pitfalls that make finals stress a larger obstacle than it needs to be. Stop pulling all-nighters, pounding the caffeine, and...budget time wisely

Am I guilty of all of those? Oh, yes. I was a student once (actually all teachers were – it is a prerequisite to being a teacher. ) My freshmen year at the University of Kansas I actually managed to stay up all night for two nights in a row studying for my ‘Logics’ and ‘Western Civilization’ class. I passed, do I remember anything from it? Nope. Once, I even managed to write a 10-page paper on the Albanian Civil War…I got a C out of it – not something that I am very proud of.

So, having ‘said that’ and ‘been there,’ I can only give my students once piece of advice before the upcoming midterms and final exams – open your book during the semester and not just the week / night / hour before the test.