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Taming Text Anxiety

Prepare Well in Advance

Relax yourself physically
  • Keep up day to day, if you can; but don’t put your self down if you can’t.  Avoid cramming right before the test.  Don’t go without sleep the night before.  Stop studying an hour or so before the test to take time to relax and compose yourself.
If you notice that you are not thinking well.  Pause, put your test aside and take several slow, deep breaths.  Concentrate on your breathing.  Do this if you notice you are worrying too much about one problem, not reading carefully or forgetting information you know.

Activity Reduces Anxiety

Develop an positive, yet realistic goal
If you go blank and can’t think of anything to write, go on to another question or part of the test.  For an essay question, write down anything you do remember on scratch paper or on the back of the test to stimulate your memory.
Approach the test determined that you will do your best, but also accept the limits of what you know right now.  Use everything you know to do well, but don’t blame yourself for what you don’t know.

Ask

Read
Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification from the teacher if you have questions about directions, procedure, etc., rather than being unsure or anxious about what you are expected to do.
Read over the test and decide on your approach.  Determine point values per question or section, the time limits for each part, which question you want to start with, etc.

Plan

Decide on an approach
Know when and where the test will be given. Also, what you need to bring.  Be on time with your books and supplies (pens, pencils, calculator, etc.)  Don’t rush.
Read over the test and decide on your approach.  Determine point values per question or section, the time limits for each part, which question you want to start with, etc.