Alisa Shinn

Scenario

As a college student is difficult for some to keep a 3.0 GPA, when first starting College.

Theres those that study all the time and pass test, while others study hard every day and when

the test day comes they start to feel like theyre not going to pass it. In this case, Katya is one of

those students that get anxiety on test day and that affects her learning because then she starts to

think low of herself, and of the future. You never know what the future brings, so if you start

thinking about it youre going to get nervous and have a little panic attack. In this case, Katya

focused her thoughts on the future of her taking her test and thought of the worse-case scenario

instead of her passing the test. Test do get stressful at times, but if you focus your thoughts on

something else rather than just the test, your mind will relax and youre going to be open minded

while taking the test. A student shouldnt worry about the test results if theyre confident they

put in all their effort. Katya should have believed in herself from the beginning of the semester.

Personal Experience

Me as a student, I get my work done on time and take notes while in class to study over

the weekend in case the professor does a quiz or something. I study when I dont really get the

subject, but when I do get it I dont stress that much about it. I realized that when I know is an

important test that will determine my grade, for some reason even though I studied I forget half

of the stuff on the test. Even though I studied, once I have the test in front of me I get anxious but

still try to do my best. I get anxious, but not stressed out to the point where someone starts

sweating like crazy or cant keep still in their seats. Ive done some things that helped me out a

little. If I know when a test is, I study two-three days before, so my brain can absorb the

information and not be confused while taking the test.

Recommendations

Its normal to feel some anxiety before a test, theres two types of students; those that use

it as an initiative and those that find it debilitating. Some of the symptoms are different sort of

thoughts all at once, unable to pay attention to what you are doing, fast heartbeat, headache and

even nausea. Some of the causes might be fear of failure, lack of adequate prep time, or

experiences from the past. Some tips are being prepared; study ahead of time. Sleep and eat a

healthy breakfast before test day; its beneficial and give you energy. Think positively, read

carefully, watch your time; Think things like I can do this, slow down to help you understand

the question and pace yourself on each section, so time doesnt run out. Most important of all

dont pay attention to your surroundings; just focus on yourself and the test and let everyone else

be themselves. (Overcome Test Anxiety)

Students at some point in their life will start to take tests which are used to determine

whether theyre learning in the class or just goof around. Most of the time, the test results are

used to make important decisions about students, which includes determining the curriculum

level od mastery, report card grades, GPA, and whether theyre going to graduate or not.

Students from a different culture and native language also experience test anxiety due to

stereotype threat. Like a new student from Mexico barely knowing English is asked to read out

loud, he/she will feel the pressure of doing it right, which will make them think lots of different

thoughts in their minds about them failing and embarrassing themselves. To help a student with

anxiety of any kind in the classroom is to determine a trigger. The professor should talk about

whats going to be in the test and study with the whole class. Give the students study guides.

Another way is to help them with time management during a test. Give a sort of easy test to see
where the students stand, later keep making them a bit harder to see if they were able to

accomplish more. (Addressing Test Anxiety)

Conclusion

If I were in Katyas situation I would seek help because I wouldnt want to have a panic

attack. Also, by the way that I would want to reduce the anxiety because it might get worse in the

future to the point where the stress can cause me my life. So, to help myself with reducing

anxiety is to study 2-3 days before a test, rather than studying the day before. While taking a test

is best to focus on your own rather than looking around because that confuses you even more. At

the beginning of each semester I tell myself to have study hours somewhere in between classes

or even at home. Think positive about that subject and try not to remember the classes youve

taken before. Take deep breaths before and while taking the test.
10 Ways to Overcome Test Anxiety. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2017, from
https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/test-anxiety
Salend, S. J. (2011). Addressing Test Anxiety. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(2), 58-68

https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=aph&AN=67310795&site=ehost-live

How to Overcome Test Anxiety with 8 Tips and Tricks. (2016, July 13). Retrieved December 8, 2017, from

http://student-tutor.com/blog/how-to-overcome-test-anxiety/