WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.730 --> 00:00:06.300 Hello, my name is Dr. Karen Grella and I'm here to 2 00:00:06.300 --> 00:00:08.025 present some information today 3 00:00:08.025 --> 00:00:10.455 on overcoming test anxiety. 4 00:00:10.455 --> 00:00:13.140 I will be speaking with you about strategies for 5 00:00:13.140 --> 00:00:16.425 reducing anxiety around exams. 6 00:00:16.425 --> 00:00:18.945 What is test anxiety? 7 00:00:18.945 --> 00:00:23.010 Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which 8 00:00:23.010 --> 00:00:27.120 a person experiences distress either before, during, 9 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:28.590 or after an exam or 10 00:00:28.590 --> 00:00:32.055 any other assessment to such a degree that 11 00:00:32.055 --> 00:00:34.620 the anxiety causes poor performance or 12 00:00:34.620 --> 00:00:38.320 significantly interferes with normal learning. 13 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:42.920 Many people experience some degree of stress and 14 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:46.285 anxiety before, during exams. 15 00:00:46.285 --> 00:00:48.530 A little bit of nervousness can 16 00:00:48.530 --> 00:00:50.510 actually be helpful because 17 00:00:50.510 --> 00:00:53.210 that nervousness or anxiety can help you to be more 18 00:00:53.210 --> 00:00:56.590 mentally alert and ready to tackle the exam. 19 00:00:56.590 --> 00:01:00.905 Test anxiety when it is significant can actually 20 00:01:00.905 --> 00:01:05.510 impair a student's learning and hurt test performance. 21 00:01:05.510 --> 00:01:07.820 That excessive fear can make it difficult to 22 00:01:07.820 --> 00:01:09.740 concentrate and you might 23 00:01:09.740 --> 00:01:12.130 struggle to recall the things that you've studied. 24 00:01:12.130 --> 00:01:13.505 This idea of blanking 25 00:01:13.505 --> 00:01:16.220 out that we'll talk about in a minute. 26 00:01:16.370 --> 00:01:20.375 What are some of the causes of test anxiety? 27 00:01:20.375 --> 00:01:22.550 Well, there can be a varying reasons 28 00:01:22.550 --> 00:01:25.970 why individuals experience test anxiety. 29 00:01:25.970 --> 00:01:28.475 It could be a lack of confidence. 30 00:01:28.475 --> 00:01:31.340 Just not feeling confident 31 00:01:31.340 --> 00:01:33.800 in their knowledge of the material. 32 00:01:33.800 --> 00:01:36.170 It could be that they're just not 33 00:01:36.170 --> 00:01:38.735 confident in themselves as a student. 34 00:01:38.735 --> 00:01:41.525 They're afraid to fail. That's a big one. 35 00:01:41.525 --> 00:01:43.190 I mean, we all have a little bit of that 36 00:01:43.190 --> 00:01:45.305 when we go to sit down at an exam. 37 00:01:45.305 --> 00:01:47.105 But when it is excessive, 38 00:01:47.105 --> 00:01:49.340 it can really cause that test anxiety 39 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:51.750 , negative thought processes. 40 00:01:51.750 --> 00:01:54.735 I'm going to fail. I'm not going to pass this. 41 00:01:54.735 --> 00:01:56.910 This test is going to be too hard. 42 00:01:56.910 --> 00:02:00.170 Things like that that can also play 43 00:02:00.170 --> 00:02:04.130 into that students having test anxiety. 44 00:02:04.130 --> 00:02:08.090 Past experiences failing an exam is another one 45 00:02:08.090 --> 00:02:11.855 that is often a good cause of test anxiety. 46 00:02:11.855 --> 00:02:14.300 Not good in a good way but it can often 47 00:02:14.300 --> 00:02:18.470 be an actual realistic trigger for students to 48 00:02:18.470 --> 00:02:21.680 experience test anxiety because they've already failed 49 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:23.630 some exams prior and 50 00:02:23.630 --> 00:02:25.565 they're really worried about this next one. 51 00:02:25.565 --> 00:02:27.230 It could be very high stakes. 52 00:02:27.230 --> 00:02:30.110 Maybe they didn't pass the first two and they need 53 00:02:30.110 --> 00:02:33.635 to pass third one in order to pass the class. 54 00:02:33.635 --> 00:02:38.180 That pressure from those past experiences 55 00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:40.000 can cause test anxiety. 56 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.035 Pressure to do well from an outside source. 57 00:02:43.035 --> 00:02:47.840 Maybe someone has a parent or sibling, or guardian, 58 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:50.120 or someone that's really pressuring them to be 59 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:53.090 successful on their exams. 60 00:02:53.090 --> 00:02:54.990 They want them to get As. 61 00:02:54.990 --> 00:02:58.050 Anything less than an A or a B is not acceptable and 62 00:02:58.050 --> 00:03:01.440 that pressure can cause test anxiety. 63 00:03:01.440 --> 00:03:04.730 Not being prepared is another one that's a big one. 64 00:03:04.730 --> 00:03:06.350 That would go along with some of 65 00:03:06.350 --> 00:03:09.400 those poor test-taking strategies. 66 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:11.870 If you're not prepared 67 00:03:11.870 --> 00:03:14.150 and you haven't studied and you know it, 68 00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:16.440 you may go in anxious. 69 00:03:16.440 --> 00:03:22.310 What you have learned may also be difficult to retrieve. 70 00:03:22.310 --> 00:03:25.070 If you don't have good test-taking strategies, 71 00:03:25.070 --> 00:03:27.285 part of that is preparation. 72 00:03:27.285 --> 00:03:29.510 Making sure you're getting a good night's sleep 73 00:03:29.510 --> 00:03:33.800 and having something to eat before tests, 74 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:35.090 not going into a test at 75 00:03:35.090 --> 00:03:36.920 noon on an empty stomach, things like that. 76 00:03:36.920 --> 00:03:39.410 Then also knowing how to 77 00:03:39.410 --> 00:03:42.800 strategize when you're taking an exam, 78 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:45.770 for example, do you 79 00:03:45.770 --> 00:03:47.420 cross out the ones that you know 80 00:03:47.420 --> 00:03:49.505 are definitely not the answer? 81 00:03:49.505 --> 00:03:51.500 Do you go back through and read through? 82 00:03:51.500 --> 00:03:54.590 Do you carefully read the questions to make 83 00:03:54.590 --> 00:03:55.850 sure that you're reading them 84 00:03:55.850 --> 00:03:59.220 correctly? Things like that. 85 00:04:00.470 --> 00:04:04.160 What are some of the symptoms that individuals 86 00:04:04.160 --> 00:04:07.340 might experience if they have test anxiety? 87 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:10.340 Well, there's physical and emotional symptoms 88 00:04:10.340 --> 00:04:13.430 which really mimic generalized anxiety. 89 00:04:13.430 --> 00:04:15.800 But we're focusing today on something very 90 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:18.410 specific and that's anxiety around assessments, 91 00:04:18.410 --> 00:04:21.300 tests, exams, quizzes, things like that. 92 00:04:22.040 --> 00:04:24.320 Some of the physical symptoms 93 00:04:24.320 --> 00:04:25.880 that someone might experience, 94 00:04:25.880 --> 00:04:27.245 they might start sweating, 95 00:04:27.245 --> 00:04:28.980 they might be shaking, 96 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:31.135 their heart might raise, 97 00:04:31.135 --> 00:04:36.305 they might have dry mouth or feel sick in their stomach, 98 00:04:36.305 --> 00:04:39.155 they might have trouble sleeping the night before a test. 99 00:04:39.155 --> 00:04:40.940 All of these symptoms can 100 00:04:40.940 --> 00:04:42.950 either happen prior to the start of 101 00:04:42.950 --> 00:04:45.950 an exam or while 102 00:04:45.950 --> 00:04:48.960 a person is sitting down to take the exam. 103 00:04:49.420 --> 00:04:52.280 Emotionally that can impact 104 00:04:52.280 --> 00:04:55.195 individuals because they might feel depressed. 105 00:04:55.195 --> 00:04:58.640 They might experience panic attack. 106 00:04:58.640 --> 00:05:01.340 They have that cause anxiety 107 00:05:01.340 --> 00:05:03.620 and other areas of their life. 108 00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:05.780 It can affect self-esteem. 109 00:05:05.780 --> 00:05:10.920 They might be angry or frustrated or feel hopeless. 110 00:05:12.200 --> 00:05:18.435 I really like this graphic that's on this slide. 111 00:05:18.435 --> 00:05:21.685 It shows a stick figure, 112 00:05:21.685 --> 00:05:24.280 how I see a test while taking it and 113 00:05:24.280 --> 00:05:27.620 it's just a jumbled mess. 114 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:30.150 Just I'm overwhelmed. 115 00:05:30.150 --> 00:05:31.605 This is math, for example, 116 00:05:31.605 --> 00:05:33.030 oh my gosh, I don't remember how to do 117 00:05:33.030 --> 00:05:35.325 these problems. I don't know any of this. 118 00:05:35.325 --> 00:05:38.650 That's probably what's going through this person's mind. 119 00:05:38.650 --> 00:05:40.375 The anxiety has gotten in the way. 120 00:05:40.375 --> 00:05:42.700 Then the person gets the test back and they're like, 121 00:05:42.700 --> 00:05:44.230 wait a minute, I knew that. 122 00:05:44.230 --> 00:05:48.260 I totally knew that and that can happen a lot. 123 00:05:48.260 --> 00:05:54.090 That's that blanking out that I mentioned earlier on. 124 00:05:54.090 --> 00:05:57.410 Many people with test anxiety will report that they blank 125 00:05:57.410 --> 00:06:01.325 out when they're starting to answer questions, 126 00:06:01.325 --> 00:06:03.140 even though they studied the information 127 00:06:03.140 --> 00:06:04.430 thoroughly and they were 128 00:06:04.430 --> 00:06:06.470 sure they knew the answers to the questions. 129 00:06:06.470 --> 00:06:08.815 They still might blink out. 130 00:06:08.815 --> 00:06:11.990 Some of those cognitive-behavioral symptoms 131 00:06:11.990 --> 00:06:15.455 that individuals might experience would be fidgeting, 132 00:06:15.455 --> 00:06:17.160 wanting to avoid a test. 133 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:18.680 I mean, there are some people that might 134 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:20.450 not show up for a test, 135 00:06:20.450 --> 00:06:23.900 that negative self-talk I talked about earlier. 136 00:06:23.900 --> 00:06:25.580 Not able to concentrate on 137 00:06:25.580 --> 00:06:27.530 the test and just having racing thoughts, 138 00:06:27.530 --> 00:06:28.580 worrying about the test, 139 00:06:28.580 --> 00:06:30.430 worrying about the clock. 140 00:06:30.430 --> 00:06:34.970 Realizing that you did put in the effort to study. 141 00:06:34.970 --> 00:06:36.560 That's really fun illustrating 142 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:37.640 to you because now you're at 143 00:06:37.640 --> 00:06:40.010 the test and you're seeing it like this. 144 00:06:40.010 --> 00:06:42.110 The figure at the top of that graphic is 145 00:06:42.110 --> 00:06:44.720 seeing it just a big jumbled mess. 146 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:47.360 We want to be able to handle the test anxiety. 147 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:49.580 Because really, if you've prepared and you've 148 00:06:49.580 --> 00:06:53.795 studied and you knew the information ahead of time, 149 00:06:53.795 --> 00:06:57.800 you likely are experiencing test anxiety, 150 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:00.440 which is then impacting your ability 151 00:07:00.440 --> 00:07:01.700 when you get to the test and you 152 00:07:01.700 --> 00:07:04.220 have no idea what you're looking at. 153 00:07:04.220 --> 00:07:07.200 We really want to help control 154 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:10.300 that test anxiety so you're not blinking out. 155 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.840 Some auditory and visual triggers just be 156 00:07:17.840 --> 00:07:20.615 thinking about these as we go over this slide. 157 00:07:20.615 --> 00:07:23.270 What are some of those triggers that might happen in 158 00:07:23.270 --> 00:07:28.530 the classroom during an exam that could cause anxiety? 159 00:07:29.180 --> 00:07:32.270 Here we have another graphic 160 00:07:32.270 --> 00:07:34.055 where it says anxiety triggers, 161 00:07:34.055 --> 00:07:35.210 I was doing fine. 162 00:07:35.210 --> 00:07:37.400 Then boom, again, anxious again. 163 00:07:37.400 --> 00:07:39.530 Maybe you feel like you're going into 164 00:07:39.530 --> 00:07:42.310 the test and you feel really good. 165 00:07:42.310 --> 00:07:44.210 Then you start developing 166 00:07:44.210 --> 00:07:46.130 that anxiety as soon as you get in the room. 167 00:07:46.130 --> 00:07:48.650 Then there's auditory, so things that 168 00:07:48.650 --> 00:07:51.320 you hear and visual things that you see, 169 00:07:51.320 --> 00:07:53.210 these triggers that end up 170 00:07:53.210 --> 00:07:56.170 causing you to have anxiety during your exam. 171 00:07:56.170 --> 00:07:57.140 Think about some of those 172 00:07:57.140 --> 00:07:59.160 and we're going to go over them. 173 00:08:01.660 --> 00:08:04.915 What are some of those triggers? 174 00:08:04.915 --> 00:08:07.400 Well, there's a variety of triggers, and usually, 175 00:08:07.400 --> 00:08:10.100 when I ask groups of students they 176 00:08:10.100 --> 00:08:14.090 will pretty much always give me what's on this slide. 177 00:08:14.090 --> 00:08:15.470 The big one is 178 00:08:15.470 --> 00:08:17.825 students getting up and handing in their tests. 179 00:08:17.825 --> 00:08:21.395 That's a big trigger for 180 00:08:21.395 --> 00:08:24.140 individuals that have test anxiety 181 00:08:24.140 --> 00:08:26.525 when they're in a classroom full of students. 182 00:08:26.525 --> 00:08:28.655 There's this false sense of 183 00:08:28.655 --> 00:08:30.860 if a student is done very quickly, 184 00:08:30.860 --> 00:08:34.760 that they may know more than you do because it's 185 00:08:34.760 --> 00:08:36.800 taking you longer and that is not 186 00:08:36.800 --> 00:08:39.470 necessarily true, that's a myth. 187 00:08:39.470 --> 00:08:43.475 Not everybody that finishes the test first knows more. 188 00:08:43.475 --> 00:08:45.170 But there is something that's 189 00:08:45.170 --> 00:08:47.780 unnerving to students when they see other students 190 00:08:47.780 --> 00:08:50.000 getting up and handing in their tests and 191 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.155 they start worrying and it's distracting. 192 00:08:53.155 --> 00:08:55.560 Sound of a ticking clock. 193 00:08:55.560 --> 00:08:58.820 If you know that you need that time to think 194 00:08:58.820 --> 00:09:02.275 and process through the clock can be a distraction. 195 00:09:02.275 --> 00:09:04.860 People turning the pages of their tests. 196 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:07.010 Individuals with test anxiety are 197 00:09:07.010 --> 00:09:09.800 really maybe keying in on some of those things. 198 00:09:09.800 --> 00:09:12.620 It's not that they're getting up in handing in the test, 199 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:14.720 but maybe that they're turning the pages 200 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:16.280 quickly and you feel 201 00:09:16.280 --> 00:09:18.740 like they're going through it faster than you. 202 00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:21.060 A door opening and closing. 203 00:09:21.060 --> 00:09:23.435 As people exit or if someone's coming in, 204 00:09:23.435 --> 00:09:27.320 people zipping up their backpacks. They're done. 205 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:31.400 Chair scraping against the floor when individuals get up, 206 00:09:31.400 --> 00:09:34.355 people talking outside the classroom. 207 00:09:34.355 --> 00:09:36.530 That's another one where you can hear people. 208 00:09:36.530 --> 00:09:38.000 It's a big distraction. 209 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:39.904 Or if they're tapping their pencils 210 00:09:39.904 --> 00:09:41.810 and a near-empty classroom, 211 00:09:41.810 --> 00:09:43.670 if you're one of the last few, 212 00:09:43.670 --> 00:09:45.320 you may end up rushing through 213 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:47.300 the end even if you have the time because you 214 00:09:47.300 --> 00:09:50.390 feel like you can't 215 00:09:50.390 --> 00:09:53.525 concentrate on the questions and your blanking out and 216 00:09:53.525 --> 00:09:57.080 it's causing you to have a lot of anxiety and you're near 217 00:09:57.080 --> 00:09:59.870 the end of the students 218 00:09:59.870 --> 00:10:02.570 that are in the class still taking the test. 219 00:10:02.570 --> 00:10:06.450 That can be another one that can cause some anxiety. 220 00:10:07.430 --> 00:10:09.570 How do we manage this? 221 00:10:09.570 --> 00:10:11.180 We know what it looks like, 222 00:10:11.180 --> 00:10:12.500 we know what can cause it, 223 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:13.610 but how do we manage it? 224 00:10:13.610 --> 00:10:15.560 I think that's the most important piece. 225 00:10:15.560 --> 00:10:17.510 Once you've recognized that this 226 00:10:17.510 --> 00:10:19.775 is something that you're experiencing, 227 00:10:19.775 --> 00:10:21.350 you're going to want to use 228 00:10:21.350 --> 00:10:25.115 some strategies to help to manage that ahead of time. 229 00:10:25.115 --> 00:10:27.500 First thing is when you study, 230 00:10:27.500 --> 00:10:30.275 you're going to want to seek out well-lit, 231 00:10:30.275 --> 00:10:33.255 quiet locations for studying. 232 00:10:33.255 --> 00:10:35.120 Here at Cuba, you can go to 233 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:38.525 the Learning Commons on either the Auburn or campuses 234 00:10:38.525 --> 00:10:40.910 or other designated study areas on 235 00:10:40.910 --> 00:10:43.835 campus to help reduce distractions. 236 00:10:43.835 --> 00:10:45.665 So you want to be in a quiet place. 237 00:10:45.665 --> 00:10:47.660 That's going to help you retain 238 00:10:47.660 --> 00:10:51.215 the information that you're studying. That's the key. 239 00:10:51.215 --> 00:10:53.570 You want to make sure that what you're 240 00:10:53.570 --> 00:10:57.440 studying is able to stick so to speak. 241 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.510 If you're able to review it in 242 00:10:59.510 --> 00:11:01.790 an area where there's not a lot of distractions, 243 00:11:01.790 --> 00:11:03.680 you're more likely to be able 244 00:11:03.680 --> 00:11:06.600 to recall the information later. 245 00:11:07.830 --> 00:11:09.955 Try not to cram. 246 00:11:09.955 --> 00:11:13.195 Everybody talks about pulling a quote all nighter. 247 00:11:13.195 --> 00:11:16.570 That usually means that somebody has been up all night 248 00:11:16.570 --> 00:11:19.795 studying prior to an exam first thing the next morning. 249 00:11:19.795 --> 00:11:22.975 While that might help some individuals, 250 00:11:22.975 --> 00:11:25.150 a lot of times what that does 251 00:11:25.150 --> 00:11:27.880 is provides information overload. 252 00:11:27.880 --> 00:11:30.760 When the student goes to take the test, 253 00:11:30.760 --> 00:11:33.640 it's just a lot of information they've tried to 254 00:11:33.640 --> 00:11:36.865 cram and they're trying to just dump it so to speak. 255 00:11:36.865 --> 00:11:38.380 Maybe the way the questions are 256 00:11:38.380 --> 00:11:40.750 written is not lending itself to 257 00:11:40.750 --> 00:11:45.040 that and there's a lot of content and it's too much. 258 00:11:45.040 --> 00:11:47.020 They get to the test and they 259 00:11:47.020 --> 00:11:49.195 don't know anything that they've studied 260 00:11:49.195 --> 00:11:52.570 because it was all too much too soon or maybe they were 261 00:11:52.570 --> 00:11:55.000 okay with the test they took 262 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.820 at at that point the next morning. 263 00:11:57.820 --> 00:12:00.040 But if there's a comprehensive test that covers 264 00:12:00.040 --> 00:12:02.920 the same material at the end of the semester, 265 00:12:02.920 --> 00:12:05.485 that cramming is not going to help, 266 00:12:05.485 --> 00:12:08.035 especially if you didn't do well first time. 267 00:12:08.035 --> 00:12:10.750 Really trying to prepare for the exam ahead of time, 268 00:12:10.750 --> 00:12:14.365 try not to cram and take your time with studying. 269 00:12:14.365 --> 00:12:17.260 Avoid that last minute studying. 270 00:12:17.260 --> 00:12:22.180 If you do have good study strategies and you've studied, 271 00:12:22.180 --> 00:12:24.880 and you've reviewed information multiple times, 272 00:12:24.880 --> 00:12:26.920 know that you're already prepared. 273 00:12:26.920 --> 00:12:30.565 Sometimes people will have studied all night 274 00:12:30.565 --> 00:12:32.680 and all day and maybe even 275 00:12:32.680 --> 00:12:35.005 that week several times and they're really prepared, 276 00:12:35.005 --> 00:12:36.940 and then all of a sudden right before tests, 277 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:39.145 they feel they need to go through their notes. 278 00:12:39.145 --> 00:12:41.215 That can actually cause anxiety. 279 00:12:41.215 --> 00:12:43.060 If you feel you're prepared, 280 00:12:43.060 --> 00:12:47.185 you may not need to do that 20 minutes before the test. 281 00:12:47.185 --> 00:12:50.245 Making sure you're sleeping and getting rest. 282 00:12:50.245 --> 00:12:51.625 When we don't sleep, 283 00:12:51.625 --> 00:12:52.690 when we're not rested, 284 00:12:52.690 --> 00:12:54.865 we can feel anxious and stressed. 285 00:12:54.865 --> 00:12:56.530 We want to make sure that we're 286 00:12:56.530 --> 00:12:58.720 controlling that before we go into an exam, 287 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:00.579 if at all possible. 288 00:13:00.579 --> 00:13:03.490 Don't go into the exam on an empty stomach. 289 00:13:03.490 --> 00:13:05.155 If it's first thing in the morning, 290 00:13:05.155 --> 00:13:07.735 maybe have a glass of juice or something like that. 291 00:13:07.735 --> 00:13:10.270 But if it's noon and you've had nothing to eat, 292 00:13:10.270 --> 00:13:11.560 your brain is saying, 293 00:13:11.560 --> 00:13:13.510 I need some nutrients so that I can 294 00:13:13.510 --> 00:13:15.940 help recall this information. 295 00:13:15.940 --> 00:13:18.265 If possible, certainly, 296 00:13:18.265 --> 00:13:20.170 there's a lot of people that like coffee, 297 00:13:20.170 --> 00:13:22.330 or tea, or something like that. 298 00:13:22.330 --> 00:13:24.310 You don't want to overload yourself 299 00:13:24.310 --> 00:13:26.680 with coffee or caffeine, 300 00:13:26.680 --> 00:13:28.330 I should say, or sugar because 301 00:13:28.330 --> 00:13:30.355 that may also cause some anxiety. 302 00:13:30.355 --> 00:13:32.499 You're trying to control all these variables 303 00:13:32.499 --> 00:13:33.640 so that you can go in 304 00:13:33.640 --> 00:13:38.060 calm and show what you know to the best of your ability. 305 00:13:41.070 --> 00:13:45.875 You certainly don't want to be rushing to get to an exam. 306 00:13:45.875 --> 00:13:49.905 If you can arrive a few minutes early, that's perfect. 307 00:13:49.905 --> 00:13:52.650 You don't want to be there 45 minutes early waiting 308 00:13:52.650 --> 00:13:55.830 outside because if you're someone that gets anxious, 309 00:13:55.830 --> 00:13:57.555 that might cause more anxiety 310 00:13:57.555 --> 00:14:00.260 because now you're just sitting and thinking about it. 311 00:14:00.260 --> 00:14:03.190 You certainly don't want to be late however. 312 00:14:03.190 --> 00:14:05.350 If you can get there a few minutes early just 313 00:14:05.350 --> 00:14:07.240 to collect yourself, you know you're not late. 314 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:08.650 You have a couple of minutes, 315 00:14:08.650 --> 00:14:10.360 take a couple of breaths, 316 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:12.685 have some water and just relax. 317 00:14:12.685 --> 00:14:14.680 Meditation things like that can 318 00:14:14.680 --> 00:14:17.020 help you before you go into the test. 319 00:14:17.020 --> 00:14:18.985 One of the things that used to get 320 00:14:18.985 --> 00:14:20.770 me stressed out most of 321 00:14:20.770 --> 00:14:24.670 the time was when I would be waiting outside a test, 322 00:14:24.670 --> 00:14:26.920 and before we went in the classroom and I would 323 00:14:26.920 --> 00:14:29.365 hear people talking about some of the material. 324 00:14:29.365 --> 00:14:37.795 I might think, "Did I study that?" 325 00:14:37.795 --> 00:14:39.445 I don't remember that information. 326 00:14:39.445 --> 00:14:42.175 Now all of a sudden my anxiety is peaked. 327 00:14:42.175 --> 00:14:44.500 Really if you can try to avoid listening to 328 00:14:44.500 --> 00:14:47.275 others or discussing that material. 329 00:14:47.275 --> 00:14:50.380 While you're waiting maybe put your headphones or 330 00:14:50.380 --> 00:14:53.035 something like that or stand off to the side. 331 00:14:53.035 --> 00:14:55.600 You want to just go in as calm as possible. 332 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:56.830 Just because they might have 333 00:14:56.830 --> 00:14:58.600 studied something and you don't remember, 334 00:14:58.600 --> 00:14:59.590 that doesn't mean that they're 335 00:14:59.590 --> 00:15:01.570 completely and totally prepared. 336 00:15:01.570 --> 00:15:04.795 We often try to compare ourselves to others. 337 00:15:04.795 --> 00:15:07.450 Sometimes it's not helpful we just want to focus 338 00:15:07.450 --> 00:15:10.670 on ourselves and what we've studied and what we know. 339 00:15:11.310 --> 00:15:14.290 Again, I talked a little bit about meditation. 340 00:15:14.290 --> 00:15:17.080 You can also try some relaxation techniques. 341 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:18.610 Even if you're in a classroom, 342 00:15:18.610 --> 00:15:19.660 you can always just take 343 00:15:19.660 --> 00:15:22.795 a quick second to close your eyes, take deep breaths. 344 00:15:22.795 --> 00:15:25.090 You want to go into that exam 345 00:15:25.090 --> 00:15:27.010 with self-confidence and say, 346 00:15:27.010 --> 00:15:28.570 you know what, I studied. 347 00:15:28.570 --> 00:15:30.010 I did the best that I could. 348 00:15:30.010 --> 00:15:33.010 I know that I spent a lot of time on this material, 349 00:15:33.010 --> 00:15:34.840 a lot of time studying. 350 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:38.700 I'm going into this with self-confidence. 351 00:15:38.700 --> 00:15:41.145 I'm going to do the best that I can. 352 00:15:41.145 --> 00:15:44.310 I see myself getting a good grade on this test. 353 00:15:44.310 --> 00:15:46.455 I'm visualizing that. 354 00:15:46.455 --> 00:15:48.690 This squirrel, I want to 355 00:15:48.690 --> 00:15:50.790 experience what's on the screen right now. 356 00:15:50.790 --> 00:15:52.050 The squirrel that's saying, yes, 357 00:15:52.050 --> 00:15:53.250 I passed the test. 358 00:15:53.250 --> 00:15:55.325 Visualize yourself reaching your goals. 359 00:15:55.325 --> 00:15:57.580 If my goal is to get through 360 00:15:57.580 --> 00:15:59.830 this program so that I can graduate, 361 00:15:59.830 --> 00:16:01.630 visualize yourself walking across 362 00:16:01.630 --> 00:16:03.130 the stage with a cap and gown. 363 00:16:03.130 --> 00:16:05.755 All of those things will help boost your confidence, 364 00:16:05.755 --> 00:16:07.390 reduce anxiety, and help you to 365 00:16:07.390 --> 00:16:11.240 feel like a more successful student. 366 00:16:12.150 --> 00:16:16.090 Some test-taking strategies that I talked about, 367 00:16:16.090 --> 00:16:18.460 just a little bit different from study strategies. 368 00:16:18.460 --> 00:16:20.335 Make sure that you're looking over 369 00:16:20.335 --> 00:16:22.675 your test to be sure you've answered every question. 370 00:16:22.675 --> 00:16:23.980 You don't want to hand in 371 00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:26.335 a test with a few questions blank. 372 00:16:26.335 --> 00:16:28.960 You can leave questions blank as long as 373 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:31.615 you're good about going back and looking them over. 374 00:16:31.615 --> 00:16:33.520 I would say go through, 375 00:16:33.520 --> 00:16:36.625 do the ones you know, and then go back and rethink. 376 00:16:36.625 --> 00:16:38.620 Make sure you're reading all of 377 00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:40.870 the directions very, very carefully. 378 00:16:40.870 --> 00:16:47.635 Because you can get caught up in questions that may not, 379 00:16:47.635 --> 00:16:49.839 or questions and directions 380 00:16:49.839 --> 00:16:51.850 that you may not have read correctly. 381 00:16:51.850 --> 00:16:53.635 Then at that point, 382 00:16:53.635 --> 00:16:58.840 you're seeing the word not is in the question. 383 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:00.745 So which one of these is not? 384 00:17:00.745 --> 00:17:02.920 You didn't read it carefully and you thought it said 385 00:17:02.920 --> 00:17:04.945 which one of these is you didn't see the not. 386 00:17:04.945 --> 00:17:07.120 Now you're answering it the wrong way. 387 00:17:07.120 --> 00:17:09.864 If you do blank on a question, 388 00:17:09.864 --> 00:17:12.310 skip it and go back as I mentioned. 389 00:17:12.310 --> 00:17:14.095 Sometimes, well, 390 00:17:14.095 --> 00:17:20.080 there's stuff in a test that will actually be triggered. 391 00:17:20.080 --> 00:17:22.180 You might get to another question. 392 00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:25.375 It might trigger you, wait a minute. 393 00:17:25.375 --> 00:17:28.795 They're asking about this and I remember studying this. 394 00:17:28.795 --> 00:17:32.950 Now I know the question I had left blank is this. 395 00:17:32.950 --> 00:17:35.920 You might get some triggers or clues within 396 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:37.450 a test in the questions that 397 00:17:37.450 --> 00:17:39.505 help you with some other questions. 398 00:17:39.505 --> 00:17:41.590 Make sure you're not spending too much time 399 00:17:41.590 --> 00:17:43.000 on one question. 400 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:44.410 Try not to panic when 401 00:17:44.410 --> 00:17:47.575 people start getting up to hand in their tests. 402 00:17:47.575 --> 00:17:51.715 As I said, just because someone's done first, 403 00:17:51.715 --> 00:17:53.890 or second, or early does 404 00:17:53.890 --> 00:17:56.590 not mean that they always know all the answers. 405 00:17:56.590 --> 00:17:57.760 They might not know any 406 00:17:57.760 --> 00:17:59.605 of it and that's why they're done. 407 00:17:59.605 --> 00:18:02.330 Be thinking about that. 408 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.650 I want to wrap up with a couple of points about 409 00:18:11.650 --> 00:18:12.910 whether or not you should change 410 00:18:12.910 --> 00:18:15.490 your answers on multiple choice exams. 411 00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:19.750 It's really up to a student if they want to do that. 412 00:18:19.750 --> 00:18:24.025 I have done a little bit of research. 413 00:18:24.025 --> 00:18:28.510 It does look most people go with this trust your gut. 414 00:18:28.510 --> 00:18:31.630 No, never change your answers, trust your gut. 415 00:18:31.630 --> 00:18:36.295 But what I found was that there 416 00:18:36.295 --> 00:18:38.560 are actually some reasons why it might be 417 00:18:38.560 --> 00:18:41.020 beneficial to change your answers, 418 00:18:41.020 --> 00:18:44.830 for example, you may have 419 00:18:44.830 --> 00:18:47.619 found information in the exam 420 00:18:47.619 --> 00:18:49.570 that you didn't realize you had, 421 00:18:49.570 --> 00:18:51.340 you didn't remember from before. 422 00:18:51.340 --> 00:18:55.280 As I mentioned earlier, you're looking at a question. 423 00:18:55.500 --> 00:18:59.620 You're thinking I think it's A and then you get 424 00:18:59.620 --> 00:19:02.260 into Question 15 later 425 00:19:02.260 --> 00:19:03.940 on and you read it and you say, wait a minute, 426 00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:05.920 it's not A because I remember 427 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:08.890 studying this and now that I'm reading this question, 428 00:19:08.890 --> 00:19:11.890 this content is triggering my memory. 429 00:19:11.890 --> 00:19:13.780 I know I should go back and change it. 430 00:19:13.780 --> 00:19:15.250 If you think that you 431 00:19:15.250 --> 00:19:18.415 should change it because you have more evidence, 432 00:19:18.415 --> 00:19:20.170 or you really thought it through, 433 00:19:20.170 --> 00:19:21.640 go ahead and change it if 434 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:23.485 that's what you're basing it on. 435 00:19:23.485 --> 00:19:27.130 If you're really not sure and you don't know, 436 00:19:27.130 --> 00:19:28.795 you could go with your gut. 437 00:19:28.795 --> 00:19:30.880 But most of the time the reason why 438 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.190 people don't change their answers 439 00:19:33.190 --> 00:19:38.185 is because they're really afraid of having it right, 440 00:19:38.185 --> 00:19:40.870 and changing it to the wrong as 441 00:19:40.870 --> 00:19:43.900 opposed to having it wrong and changing it to the right. 442 00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:46.135 It's easier to say, 443 00:19:46.135 --> 00:19:48.190 I had A, 444 00:19:48.190 --> 00:19:50.590 I thought about changing it to B, 445 00:19:50.590 --> 00:19:54.385 but I didn't, and it is B. I got it wrong. 446 00:19:54.385 --> 00:19:57.340 But at least I didn't change 447 00:19:57.340 --> 00:20:03.265 my answer or I changed it from A to B and it was A, 448 00:20:03.265 --> 00:20:05.245 then there's that I'm kicking myself 449 00:20:05.245 --> 00:20:07.840 feeling and that's what people are really worried about. 450 00:20:07.840 --> 00:20:09.730 They had it and they lost it. 451 00:20:09.730 --> 00:20:11.260 But sometimes there are 452 00:20:11.260 --> 00:20:13.060 reasons to go ahead and make that change. 453 00:20:13.060 --> 00:20:14.860 Weigh that out. As you're 454 00:20:14.860 --> 00:20:17.720 thinking about multiple choice tests. 455 00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:20.265 Here's some other little chart and 456 00:20:20.265 --> 00:20:22.530 other 10 tips to overcome anxiety. 457 00:20:22.530 --> 00:20:24.885 A lot of this is what we talked about, 458 00:20:24.885 --> 00:20:27.975 watching the clock, reading things carefully, 459 00:20:27.975 --> 00:20:29.430 being early for your tasks, 460 00:20:29.430 --> 00:20:31.935 getting a good night sleep positive attitude, 461 00:20:31.935 --> 00:20:34.870 and just jumping in and starting. 462 00:20:35.870 --> 00:20:39.030 Hopefully you've learned some information 463 00:20:39.030 --> 00:20:42.300 today that's helped you to beat that test anxiety. 464 00:20:42.300 --> 00:20:46.740 Certainly I'm a work in progress and with 465 00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:48.990 good study strategies and 466 00:20:48.990 --> 00:20:52.120 good techniques to help keep yourself calm, 467 00:20:52.120 --> 00:20:54.775 and test-taking techniques, 468 00:20:54.775 --> 00:20:56.170 I think all of those things in 469 00:20:56.170 --> 00:20:58.345 combination can help students to 470 00:20:58.345 --> 00:21:00.370 go into a test not feeling like they're 471 00:21:00.370 --> 00:21:02.785 blinking out and everything they knew is gone. 472 00:21:02.785 --> 00:21:04.030 But saying, you know what? 473 00:21:04.030 --> 00:21:06.490 I can do this, I can get through this. 474 00:21:06.490 --> 00:21:08.800 I remember this information, I studied. 475 00:21:08.800 --> 00:21:10.525 I feel good about it. 476 00:21:10.525 --> 00:21:13.150 If you do have any other questions, 477 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:15.820 please don't hesitate to contact me. 478 00:21:15.820 --> 00:21:18.505 I am the accessibility specialist 479 00:21:18.505 --> 00:21:20.590 on the Auburn and Fulton campuses. 480 00:21:20.590 --> 00:21:21.880 My information is here, 481 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.830 you can e-mail me or give me a call. 482 00:21:23.830 --> 00:21:25.915 I'm happy to talk more about 483 00:21:25.915 --> 00:21:30.945 test anxiety with anyone if they're interested. 484 00:21:30.945 --> 00:21:34.920 I look forward to those conversations. 485 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:37.150 Thank you so much.