24 May, 2010

How to Reduce Anxiety and Nervousness on Math Tests

Math tests can be overwhelming and threatening at the same time. The emotional aspect that goes with it that makes you feel like a failure and at that very moment you have a poor self image. Your brain races and you can't think clearly. Sweaty palms, dry mouth, heart palpitations and to top it all up, your mind goes totally blank instantly.

Have you ever been there? Most probably you have! Every one of us experiences this at least once in our lifetime when taking a math test. The good news is that there is ways to combat this.

Taking time to study beforehand will eliminate most of these systems, because the fear makes you nervous, and when you know your subject all fear will be gone. When preparing for your test make sure that you take every problem into account, don't leave anything to chance.

Set up a practice exam beforehand if you struggle with anxiety and stress. Many bookstores or even the Internet have them readily available. Work through them so that you can identify any problem areas with enough time to spare if you need to master something.

Divide your exam paper in three parts. Do the easy ones first, those are the ones that you can do in your sleep. Then move on to the second part, the ones that are a bit more difficult, and when they are finished work on the ones you battle with. It is no good to sit for an hour with something you can't do and miss the marks that you are able to do.

Start to speak positive over yourself, things like, "I am able to do this". If your attitude is positive you will be able to do anything. So work on the attitude and built your self esteem up, don't break it down with words like, I'm a failure, I can't do this, it's just too difficult. This will surely sink your ship.

When you feel your attention wander bring yourself back in focus. Don't daydream during your test; you'll have plenty of time afterwards to worry about the marks.

Use some relaxation techniques to relax those tense muscles. Deep focused breathing and some positive talk at the same time will help you to stay calm and relaxed. Do simple exercises like contractions of muscles? Start at the feet and slowly work your way up your body. Contract each part and let it go. The tenseness will be gone quickly.

Not all anxiousness is bad. A little adrenaline pumping through your veins can actually be the whip you need to get you through the test. Become excited about the test. You have worked hard and now's the time to be rewarded. All that is standing in your way is to do the test and then you can move on to a new level of learning, which is actually very rewarding in itself.

Life is full of tests. Some we fail and some we pass but with each one, we learn something new. As you study for your test remember that the skills you learn today will be the stepping stones of tomorrow.

What about audio or DVD's. Get a math tutor on audio or DVD and listen to the solutions to the problems. This way it will sink in deep into your long term memory. Personally this has been something that really worked and helped me.

Remember to get a good nights rest, eat well and make enough time to study beforehand. Common sense will get you through!

Read, Learn & Flourish!