Studying in college can be a hell of a challenge. Lectures, extracurriculars, piles of academic papers and homework assignments, and tight deadlines – these are just a few of the many challenges we face as students. Yet, one of the toughest issues to deal with is exam anxiety.

According to studies, over 30% of US students experience high stress and exam anxiety before an important exam. If you have ever dealt with this problem, in this article, you will find some time-tested tips for getting over this exam anxiety and nailing your exams like a pro!

10 Practical Ways to Get Through Exam Anxiety

1. Get Extra Academic Help

Sometimes we just don’t have enough hours in a day. So the first tip for overcoming exam anxiety is to find a service with professional paper writers who will be able to take care of your assignments. In the meantime, you can get ready for your test. This way, you will get enough time for preparation without risking your grades.

How can it help? We all know that getting ready for a big test is impossible without some careful preparation. Nevertheless, devoting 100% of your time and effort to test prep can be hard when you have lots of other assignments to take care of.

With the help of a reliable paper writing service, students can delegate their current assignments and, thus, save plenty of time. At the same time, they won’t have to worry about missing deadlines or receiving low grades for their papers.

2. Don’t Procrastinate

Some tests are so big and important that they put too much pressure on students long before the exam date arrives. As a result, it can get extremely hard to put yourself together in order to start studying, so students give in to procrastination.

Needless to say that postponing test prep is not an option. In fact, procrastination is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. So, the next tip for you is to fight the urge to procrastinate and get to your studies as early as possible. If you can do this, you will get ready for your test and minimize the feeling of anxiety.

3. Talk to Your Professor

Before you start getting ready for the next test, it can be very helpful to talk to your professor first. First of all, your professor can help you understand what will be on the exam so that you know what to get ready for. Apart from this, a professor can give you objective feedback on what you should focus on during the preparation for the exam.

Lastly, if you want to overcome exam anxiety, talking to your professor about this can help too. They may give you some additional suggestions to help you put yourself together and succeed.

4. Set a Fixed Routine

Another tip that will help you overcome exam anxiety and prepare for your test well is to set a clear study routine.

Start by marking the exam date on a calendar. Then, define the scope of information that you will need to revise. After this, calculate how many hours you should devote to test prep every day. This way, you’ll be able to create a fixed schedule of your study sessions, as well as a fixed routine.

Finally, when you have everything planned, all you need to do is to stick to your schedule.

5. Create a Perfect Study Space

Though students often neglect the importance of having a good study space, it is crucial for ensuring the success of your sessions. And, it is also important for minimizing stress. So, the next tip we have for you is to create a perfect study space.

To get started, find a quiet space. You don’t want anyone to get in your way. Secondly, make sure that your space is equipped with everything you need to get prepared for an exam. This can include pens, books, a laptop, etc. Finally, you need to ensure that the place where you study is free of any additional distractions and any exam anxiety you might be experiencing.

6. Hire a Tutor

Finally, one more tip in terms of preparing for your test is to get the help of a professional tutor. You may want to use this tip in the case the subject is too complex, or you are falling behind in it.

If that’s the case, trying to get ready on your own can lead to even more stress. So, don’t hesitate to take in-person or online lessons with a tutor who will be able to help you catch up on the subject you are struggling with and set you up for success.

7. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

No matter how tempting it can be to use the last night before the exam to cram, don’t! Last-minute cramming in combination with poor sleep will only add to your feeling of anxiety. So, the next tip is to get some good sleep before the day of.

Thus, the night before your test, be sure you go to bed early and avoid cramming. Also, be sure to avoid surfing the web or watching TV before sleep. Instead, get at least 8-10 hours of sleep so that you feel rested on the day of the exam.

8. Have a Nutritious Breakfast

Apart from getting good sleep, another tip that will help you get through exam anxiety on the test day is having a good, nutritious breakfast that will fuel up your body and brain for the big day.

Look for foods that offer a good range of healthy nutrients. Such foods will provide you with a good energy reserve for the upcoming day. Also, don’t hesitate to pack some good snacks to take with you. Some of the best snacks to have before an exam include nuts, dark chocolate, berries, citrus fruits, etc. All these snacks will help you keep your energy levels high and, at the same time, minimize exam anxiety.

9. Get to the Testing Site Early

Poor preparation, lack of sleep, or breakfast can certainly boost stress levels. But, one thing that can make you even more anxious before your test is running late for it. So, be sure that you get to the site early.

10. Stay Calm and Positive

Finally, when you are already at the testing site, and everything’s about to begin, there is one last tip that will help you reduce anxiety – try to retain a positive mental attitude and stay calm.

A few tricks that should help you get through exam anxiety:

• Come up with a motivating mantra (for example, like “you can do this”) and repeat it before and during the exam;
• Focus on breathing calmly to slow down your heart rate;
• Focus on positive thoughts;
• Try different relaxation techniques in case your stress levels go up during the exam.

Exam Anxiety

Exam anxiety is a common issue among students of all ages and academic levels. In some sense, you can call it a normal part of college life. So, you should remember that you are not alone there.

Of course, recognizing that it is a common problem doesn’t really help to fight it. But, luckily, now you have a list of handy tips that can help you get through this challenge and remain calm during your exams. Don’t neglect to try these tricks in practice, and you will never go back to being exam anxious again!

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