Battling With Tests

*This article is strictly for educational purposes.  The image used above belongs to its rightful copyright owners.

To Study or Not

With every class, there is always the looming shadow of approaching tests and quizzes and everyone has to prepare for.  With my level of educational experience, there are the differing methods of studying for those in-class assignments where using a book or research is not allowed.  Basically, it all depends on the individual student’s needs.  If somebody desires to read the required text for the week ahead of time and get a head start, then by all means they have the power to do so.  Should anyone else want to wait for the study guide to look over the specifics that will be on a test to save them hours in the night of reading and struggling to retain all that information, then they ought to do that if it makes the situation easier to handle.  Regardless of the study method, studying is obviously required for a test. Otherwise there is the painful risk of failing and regret of the procrastination.

Pre-Test Stress

Anyone who has ever been in school knows what is being referenced when they hear the word ‘test’.   The sudden anxiety and the knowledge that days or even weeks will have to go into hours of absorbing information needed to pass.  I honestly have yet to find anyone who actually enjoys the days leading up to an exam and preparing for it.  However, there are ways of dealing with the worry without overwhelming the human mind.   Take the studying a day at a time, accomplishing a certain amount in between breaks.  If one goes sitting still for a long period of time, bent over a book or glued to the research computer screen, it does little benefit for the physical body.  Eat a full meal, take a jog, or watch an episode of your favorite show.  However you choose to take your mind off the work for a brief stretch of time, make sure it’s done to decrease stress on the mind as well as the body where it needs exercise to remain in good shape.

During and After

While the exam is being taken, remember the protocol of enduring a test the hundred times in your like in which you’ve sat in a classroom with other students around you.  If possible, try not to look at the other students surrounding you.  That way, there will not be any mulling over what will happen if they finish before you.  There is nothing more annoying or distracting than the sound of somebody turning over their test to the next page, boasting to the other students that they may not necessarily be more intelligent, but they could just be rushing through it to get the entire experience over-with.  Read each question carefully, twice if needed to be sure you understand what the answer is for the teacher count it correct.   Finally, once the last question is answered and you turn over your work to the professor, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself on a hard day’s effort.