Testing for success, not failure
With AP testing just around the corner in May, some students have already begun the panicking at the thought of failure. Wingspan’s Allie Lynn shares her take on test anxiety and how to reduce its intensity.
March 6, 2019
A student may do well in class, but when it comes to test days, students who have test anxiety find it nearly impossible to do well on exams.
Test anxiety is the fear of failing a test before you even start, causing you to achieve a lower grade. Almost 16-20 percent of high school students have severe test anxiety and 18 percent have moderate test anxiety.
Stress is one of the biggest contributors to test anxiety. 40 percent of parents say their high school student is under lots of stress from school. When students are under stress while thinking about upcoming tests, students release adrenaline, a hormone that is released in response to anxiety.
For some students, this hormone allows them to deal with stress, but for ones with test anxiety, the overwhelming amount of stress can cause them to feel like they will perform poorly on the test.
Although these scenarios seem scary, there a lots of different ways to overcome test anxiety.
Many students try to prepare for the test as much as possible by eating a nutritious breakfast and getting a good night’s sleep. This can help students calm their nerves and it can help them feel more energized for the test.
But, the most important thing students can do to reduce test anxiety, is to have a positive mindset. By thinking positively, the brain allows you to relax and perform better than if you were thinking negatively.
Whether you have test anxiety or not, using these techniques, can help school become less stressful and calm many students.
To see if you struggle with test anxiety, go here.
Roy Nitzan is a senior and is in his fourth year of Wingspan. He is an executive producer and when he’s not working on the update you can find him taking...
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