Managing Test Anxiety with Repetition

Managing Test Anxiety with Repetition I had test anxiety all throughout high school and for the first few semesters of college. It wouldn’t show in every course but it was definitely there for others. I would study so hard for an exam and then become incredibly frustrated when I made a poor grade, especially after knowing that I studied much harder than some of my classmates. I sat down one day after repeatedly doing poorly in a course knowing that I would have to retake it wondering, where am I going wrong?I talked to a few other students as well as my adviser and realized that I had test anxiety, which is fairly common for most students. I would put as much effort as i could into studying for a test and then blank out once I started the exam. It took me a few tries to understand what method worked for me and it might be the same for others or different but the important part is making the change when it comes to studying. My confidence going into a test had gotten so low that it was also affecting my performance so m y first change was to change my attitude. I then began the practice of repetition. I would do every homework assignment multiple times, rewrite class notes over and over until I could explain the lesson to another student, and ask for extra problems in order for me to fully feel confident. Once I knew i had everything down, going into the test was no big deal because I knew I could do it. I know this seems like a lot of work for a test but when it comes to test anxiety, it is very important to be confident as well as repeat the work so many times that you won’t blank out. Once you regain your confidence, you can find easier methods to do and still make the same good grades.