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Taking exams sucks.
The worst part about taking exams is stressing about taking exams.
I’m not going to tell you not to stress about taking tests. Sometimes they are really hard. Sometimes a whole semester’s worth of material is crammed into them. Sometimes you draw a blank on the topic of an essay question, even though you studied for hours, and you want to scream at the top of your lungs about it.
What I am going to tell you is when to stress about tests — or, rather, when not to stress about tests.
I like to think of this as a “schedule” for stress. It has worked for me since I was probably about ten years old. Maybe it will work for you, and maybe you will think I’m crazy.
Stress as much as you want before the test, within reason. Let the anxiety make you study.
When you walk into the classroom, stop stressing. When you are working on the exam, stop stressing.
Stop. Stressing.
The worst thing you can do is worry immediately before and during the exam. Do you know how I know this? The most prepared people in the world still get bad grades because of stress.
Not only is that worried voice in your head distracting, but it can also completely override everything you thought you knew. Have you ever changed your answer because you were overthinking it, your heart pounding, and it turns out you were right the first time?
I know for a fact that just saying “stop stressing” will not make you stop stressing. That is not how it works. So here’s a little extra therapy you can make use of before embarking on this perilous academic journey your professor has prepared for you.
By the time you write your name at the top of the page, you know everything you are going to know about the subject matter on that test. You can’t study anymore.
You know what you know. That’s it.
At that point, it’s out of your hands in a way. As long as you do your very best with that knowledge and show respect for the questions your professor chose, there is no reason to stress beyond that point. Let go, and focus on your answers.
This is really hard. It takes a lot of practice and self-discipline. Controlling your emotions is no easy task. However, once you’ve come close to mastering this, you might notice that you can apply the skill to different areas of your life.
After the test, you can go back to stressing about it.