Test-Taking Strategies

Bamboosprout

Ted-Ed just came out with a timely video for test takers:

It talks about the importance of forming good habits, how stress affects test day, how to counter the stress of test day, and more. Check it out, and hope it helps you.

keepcalmandneuron

In undergrad, whenever I felt anxious or overwhelmed before or during an exam, I would close my eyes and start to touch (yes...touch...) objects on the table (i.e. eraser, pencil sharpener, pencil, water bottle) and really focus on "feeling" them on my fingertips. Neuroscience research has shown that shutting down your visuospatial and heightening your tactile senses decreases your central nervous system by shifting your attention to "concrete" information from "abstract" stressful thoughts racing in your head. Anyways, it looks weird as hell but it worked and still works for me during a timed PT, and hope this might help some people out there. -random neuroscience major student passing through

Bamboosprout

@keepcalmandneuron said:
In undergrad, whenever I felt anxious or overwhelmed before or during an exam, I would close my eyes and start to touch (yes...touch...) objects on the table (i.e. eraser, pencil sharpener, pencil, water bottle) and really focus on "feeling" them on my fingertips. Neuroscience research has shown that shutting down your visuospatial and heightening your tactile senses decreases your central nervous system by shifting your attention to "concrete" information from "abstract" stressful thoughts racing in your head. Anyways, it looks weird as hell but it worked and still works for me during a timed PT, and hope this might help some people out there. -random neuroscience major student passing through

You did it 'during' the PT? Do you mean during the break or before starting? Or did you actually pause in the middle of the test?

keepcalmandneuron

During. Pausing for 10-15 seconds during a PT doesn't cost me very much if it means that I can clear my mind and re-focus on the remaining questions with a tabula rasa.

ChaimtheGreat

Yeah- I would occasionally do the JY "pencil down and breath" strategy. I found it helped; even 10 seconds recharged me and let me get over the hump of a hard question.

ad_coelum

Love the visuals. Thanks for sharing!