For every science student at my time, the respect and fear of the Ababio Chemistry textbook was the beginning of wisdom, SS1 syllabus was a joke, SS3 syllabus was also a big fat joke but you see that SS2 chemistry syllabus? Phew! Run O! Mad O! as we like to say it in Nigeria! It was mental! I mean bonkers! It felt like magic that we were able to assimilate all that and did not just stop there but added courses like further maths and physics to the mix.
The books were scary but exam days were even scarier! after studying hard, without the right frame of mind and technique, you could spend the first hour of your exams in a pool of your sweat and disarmed by fear.
Fear and anxiety can suddenly make you forget all you have read and wonder if you are just dull or your village people are after you.
Thank God you are reading this write up because we are about to teach you how to approach your exams with confidence and guess what? confidence does the opposite of what fear does! It releases a certain hormone in your body that helps the mind remember things a lot better.
HOW TO BUILD THIS CONFIDENCE AND BANISH TEXT ANXIETY
Causes of test anxiety may include a fear of failure, lack of adequate prep time, or bad experiences taking tests in the past. Like I wrote in the first three opening paragraphs you’re not alone! Here’s what you can do to stay calm in the days leading up to and during your test.
1. BE PREPARED
Yes, this seems glaringly obvious, but it needs to be repeated often. Preparation always put you in a comfortable position knowing that whatever is thrown at you will be handled. If you need help studying simply visit www.passnownow.com/register to get all the secondary school exams study material you need
2. GET A SOUND NIGHT’S SLEEP
Cramming is never the answer, and pulling an all-nighter can exacerbate your nerves. Having adequate rest (9–10 hours per night) is likely to be more beneficial than rereading a text until dawn (But if you ARE up late studying and have a question, our on-demand tutors are there for you.)
3. EAT RIGHT
Eat a nutritious breakfast before the test and pack smart snacks for ongoing energy. Look for foods that offer a steady stream of nutrients, rather than a sugar high followed by a crash.
4. GET TO YOUR EXAM CENTRE VERY EARLY
Feeling rushed will only ramp up the anxiety. Pack everything you need for the exam the night before and set the alarm, so you can get out the door on time. (Make sure you don’t have to borrow any test tool)
5. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Come up with a morale-boosting mantra like “I can do this” or “I worked hard and deserve this.” remember people this before you and succeeded you won’t be the last.
6. READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
Read the directions thoroughly and read all answers before making a choice or starting the essay. There is nothing worse than putting time into a question and realizing you are not solving for x, or the essay is off-target. Slowing down can help you stay focused.
7. JUST START.
The blank page can maximize your anxiety. After you’ve read the directions, dive right in by scheming through that sifting and answering the easy questions first. this technique will quickly boost your morale to attempt harder ones.
8. DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE NEXT PERSON IS DOING
Everyone else is scribbling away? Ack! What do they know that you don’t? It doesn’t matter. Pay attention to your own test and pace, and forget about the other students in the room.
9. WATCH THE CLOCK.
Realizing that time is almost up and there are lots of test questions left can make it hard to do anything useful in those final minutes. Stay on pace by scoping out the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you’ll spend on each section. If there’s time to recheck, even better.
10. FOCUS ON CALM BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS.
Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practise these techniques at home. The very act of concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings.
Sometimes just remembering that this nerve-wracking experience is the joy of saying yes I went through it and made it out successful will help. If you need a confidence boost, try a session with our online training kit.
Best of luck in your exam go and ace it!
