Exams are crucial for the academic expedition. Unfortunately, anxiety and fear of failing in exams might keep lingering on your mind, making it impossible to achieve good grades in your course or detrimental to your overall academic achievement. If you are a victim of anxiety and worried that you aren’t going to perform well in your exams, don’t panic. Here are some effective strategies to manage anxiety and boost your academic performance.
1. Start early preparing
Most students who experience exam anxiety haven't adequately prepared in advance. So, it would help if you began your studies well in advance to prevent the stress of last-minute cramming. Preparation involves creating an effective study schedule that breaks lessons into smaller manageable tasks.
2. Revise the study materials and guides
Another way to curb exam anxiety is to revise study materials and guides, which include relevant academic books, PDFs, academic journals, periodicals, and power points. Also, utilize past exams or sample questions to better understand the exam format and question type.
3. Sleep adequately during the previous night.
Exam anxiety might cause one to lose sleep a day before the exam day. What many students don’t know is that failure to sleep adequately or spending your night before the exam studying might negatively influence academic performance. Therefore, you need to get to bed early to rest and rejuvenate your brain in preparation for the coming exams.
4. Reach the exam venue early
Arriving at the exam venue late can make your exam anxiety worse. If the exam is timed, you might experience additional pressure emanating from an attempt to answer all questions before the deadline elapses. So, arriving earlier will give you ample time to relax your tensions.
5. Start with easy questions
Complex questions might suck up and clog your mind. As a result, you may perform questions. Unless your exam does not allow you to skip any question, it is advisable to start answering more straightforward questions before you move to complex ones. Every successful attempt enhances your self-confidence, which you can use to deal with complex exam questions.
6. Practice diaphragmatic breathing
If you experience exam anxiety a few minutes before, take at least some slow but deep breaths. Slowly inspire through your nose, expand your abdomen concurrently with your ribs, and squeeze in your abdomen to push out air via your mouth. Decelerating your respirations shortens your sympathetic response, reducing your blood pressure. When there is low pressure on your body, your heart rate also slows. As a result, your body relaxes, easing your exam anxiety.
7. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet with nutritious foods can help you fuel your brain and help you curb your exam anxiety. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle also involves regular exercise to reduce stress and improve focus. Also, remember to hydrate your body, as dehydration can affect concentration and cognitive function. So, you must drink plenty of water before and during the exam. Avoid caffeine intake, especially on the exam day, to avoid jitteriness.
8. Seek help if needed
Consider talking to a therapist or counselor if your exam anxiety is severe and persistent. An anxiety expert can provide proven and practical strategies for managing your exam anxiety.
Let’s help you curb exam anxiety.
Don't continue panicking if multiple homework assignments contribute to your exam anxiety. Allow our writers at Cluewriters.com to handle your assignments, enabling you to focus on exam preparation. Our writers can do your assignments, leaving you to concentrate on your studies.