Academic Skills Center

Study Skills: Reducing Text Anxiety

Before Your Test:

• Be prepared! - Learn your material thoroughly.
• Exercise is said to sharpen the mind.
• Get a good night's sleep before the exam.
• Approach the exam with confidence:
  View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you have done.
• Do not go to the exam with an empty stomach:
  Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.   Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices, and chips and similar snack foods.
• Allow yourself plenty of time to arrive for class and study.
• Relax just before the exam.
• Do not try to do a last minute review.

During Your Test:

1. Read all the directions carefully.
2. Budget your test taking time.
3. Change positions to help you relax.
4. If you go blank, skip the question and go on.
5. If you are taking an essay test and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing, it may trigger the answer in your mind.
6. Do not panic when students start handing in their papers. There is no reward for being the first done.