Tests: Use Your Fear

Student:

I think I am doing more things right. I go to every class, do the readings and psets, go to office hours, and answer questions in class. but when it comes to studying for a test a end up spending more time telling myself no to be afraid than I do preparing for it. My professors often say they are surprised that I don't do better on exams. How can I change this?

Recent Alum:
Fear and anxiety about tests are natural an actually a sign that you care about what you are doing. They only became a problem if you can no longer use the excitement to prepare for the exam, and instead, the anxiety drives you to distraction.

Some tricks that I use to channel my anxiety include:

• Taking a break to clear my mind while practicing deep breathing. Sometimes the mental anxiety can turn physical. It is important to calm your body and your mind. Doing this during the test is equally important.
• When my mind races along about other topics or concerns while I am trying to focus, I use a personal notepad to jot down those random thoughts. By writing your thoughts down, you can get them out of your head, you'll have the note to remind you to think about them later, and you'll be able to concentrate on the material you are studying.

You said that your exam grades are not reflection how well you know the information. It is fantastic to have a complete mental understanding of the material, but tests are also about showing that understanding in a limited time frame. Sometimes that I have done many times and have found to be very useful is practicing time-limited test problems before the exam. If you know that you will have to answer 6 problem on the test in an hour, for example, then you only have 10 minutes per question. Before the exam, practice-solving 6 problems in an hour, or practice solving 1 problem in 10 minutes or less.

By MIT Tips...

How to prepare for and take Math tests

1. Starts studying early
2. Go to review sessions
3. Be on time
4. Get a good night's sleeps
5. Stay calm
6. Learn the theorems and formulas that will be important
7. Write down everything you might forget during the test
8. Use mnemonic dives (tricks and acronyms to remember things)
9. Thinks on words, no equations
10. Take deep breaths
11. Start with what you know
12. Make reasonable assumptions or guesses
13. Don't get bogged down with algebra
14. Make sure the grader knows what to grade
15. Try to recall identities

By MIT Tips...