Test anxiety affection performance?

Comments

• emmorens Core Member

  October 2020 1470 karma

  I have no idea why I wrote affection, I meant affecting
• 2 Likes

  mmurph95 Alum Member

  October 2020 22 karma

  The best strategy is to just practice. Over and over and over again. A practice section every other day and a full length test every weekend was my general strategy, at first under standard test conditions, then adding complications. For example, one time I made my room extra warm to try and throw me off game. It sucks, but brute force practice is the best strategy. Also, lay off the caffeine, it can make anxiety worse.
• lester_knopf Member

  October 2020 edited October 2020 36 karma

  Plus one to the caffeine tip! My heart used to race during timed sections and PTs and I couldn't focus.I had to scale back my caffeine intake to one cup of tea in the AM and it massively helped.
• 3 Likes

  An_Skywalker Member

  October 2020 160 karma

  Keep telling yourself that it's just another PT, even on test day. Because that all it essentially is.
• 1 Like

  Frenchy555 Live Member

  October 2020 edited October 2020 393 karma

  Taking a drink of ice cold water can help refocus but that's usually just a quick fix. Maybe try lowering caffeine intake or consuming more nutritious foods? The smartest person I know hasn't eaten sugar in 20 something years, crazy right? Another thing to try that I think could help immensely, next PT focus on your breathing habits and monitor your heart rate. Improper air intake can have some insanely negative consequences in terms of cognitive function and focus.
• 1 Like

  FutureLawyer77 Member

  October 2020 375 karma

  @emmorens I really find that meditation helps! I've been struggling with the exact same thing and have also been in this process for about a year. Headspace is a really great app. I find it has helped me to incorporate a short meditation into my everyday routine. Headspace also has a meditation that is specific to exams which is very calming I find.

  Another strategy I just discovered is visualization!! You basically sit down and visualize from start to finish what it would be like if you were taking the exam-- imagine everything from how you are dressed, what is around you, what you see, what you smell, everything! And visualize yourself starting sections, skipping questions, visualize the good and the bad so you're prepared for all scenarios. There's a podcast called The Happiness Lab which explains this really well and the science behind it is fascinating. It's season 1, episode 7 called "Don't Accentuate the Positive." They talk about how Michael Phelps uses this strategy (and lots of other athletes do) and it helps them with preparing to perform. I try to visualize myself taking the LSAT every single day and I find it has significantly helped me be less anxious and more focused and calm when I take PTs. I really
• 3 Likes

  howdoichangemyavatar Free Trial Member

  October 2020 52 karma

  The same exact thing happens to me, especially when im over-caffeinated. What helps me is trying to visualize the short passages as best I can when reading them. I also mouth the words in a sort of almost-whisper to myself. I could not tell you why this works for me, but 90% of the time it did.
• carlos.raiz23 Alum Member

  October 2020 195 karma

  I would start by doing a easy lg game and 4 easy lr q's to get you warmed up like 15 min before taking a PT. That should ease the anxiety.