Exam anxiety is a state of intense anxiety that prevents the knowledge acquired before the exam from being used effectively during the exam and causes success to decrease.
Although anxiety is a healthy emotion that occurs in situations of stress and danger. , the level and duration of anxiety are very important. Anxiety that is too low or too high can negatively affect success. Exam anxiety; It is experienced in two ways: mental and physical symptoms. Physical symptoms; palpitations, trembling and sweating in the hands, flushing, and dizziness. Mental symptoms are; such as inability to collect thoughts, forgetfulness, difficulty in attention and concentration.
To cope with exam anxiety; It is necessary to regulate our way of thinking, replace the thoughts that are the source of our anxiety with positive ones, make time planning, pay attention to nutrition and sleep patterns, and learn relaxation methods.
One of the first steps to deal with exam anxiety is to prepare well for the exam. Leaving work until the last day will increase anxiety. You should study regularly and learn methods related to study skills. When performance decreases due to test anxiety, negative thoughts may increase. We should pay attention to what we say to ourselves and try to replace these negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
To reduce anxiety, you should imagine yourself safe and clear-headed in the exam environment while studying, so imagining yourself doing well in the exam will help you achieve this in real life. It will happen. Methods such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization should be used.
However, it is extremely normal to have mild anxiety before the exam. If you do not feel any anxiety, you may not be motivated to do your best.
Parental attitudes are also very important to prevent exam anxiety. In such cases, families should not expect more from the child than they can do, should not make negative criticisms, should act consistently, should not compare the child with other children, and most importantly, the child should be made to feel loved no matter what.
If an individual experiencing exam anxiety cannot cope with this anxiety, support should be sought from an expert.
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