Managing Exam Anxiety

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Managing Exam Anxiety

• How to talk your way through the stress of exams
• Prof. Maureen Robinson
• Director, Counselling Service

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Managing NOT Eliminating

• Moderate anxiety can be beneficial
• BUT
• Excessive anxiety interferes with best
  performance of true level of ability for
  several reasons, including
• learning may not transfer
• attention narrows (tunnel vision)
• energy is wasted

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Quick test of exam anxiety

• If you drew a blank during the exam, can you
  answer the questions after the exam when you are
  more relaxed?
• If the answer is Yes then you have experienced
  exam anxiety

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Responses to stressyou may experience one, or a
combination,of the following

• Increased heart rate
• fast, shallow breathing
• tense muscles
• shivering shaking
• sweaty hands
• dry mouth
• upset stomach
• diarrhea / constipation
• confusion

• Vomiting
• headache
• insomnia / nightmares
• poor concentration
• anxiety
• a need to get away
• tiredness
• changes in eating habits

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Unhelpful Thoughts

• Im not ready
• Whats the use?
• Why am I doing this?
• I have no future in this
• I dont have enough time
• I must be stupid

• I cant do this
• I know Ive messed up
• Its not going well
• Theres too much to cover
• Ill never get into the faculty I want
• etc, etc

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These lead to emotions..

• Worry
• Fear
• Discouragement
• Anger
• Embarrassment
• confusion
• resentment
• Despair

• Hopelessness
• Depression

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All of these emotions add to our stress

• SO.What to do????????
• We need to become aware of what we are saying,
  how this affects our emotions and then learn to
  rephrase the statements in more helpful ways

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Coping statements