Exam Stress Management: Top Tips and Tricks!

According to Urban Dictionary, the fear of exams is called exam phobia or examination phobia. Harvard University prefers to call it test anxiety, and you can cope with it via exam stress management. 

If you’re always anxious or worried before exams, you’re not alone as an increasing number of students wonder how to manage exam stress. Some feel overwhelmed by the pressure and responsibility.  

Feeling anxious is normal, but you can do something to make it easier for yourself. Here are some strategies you can use.

Identifying the Symptoms that Require Exam Stress Management 

Denial is a common coping mechanism, and it’s easy to tell yourself everything will be okay, even if you’re feeling overwhelmed. But before figuring out how to reduce exam stress, you need to identify when it’s happening to you. 

Recognizing the Emotional Signs of Test Anxiety 

Exam stress can be incredibly overwhelming, leaving you in a state of fear and worry. You might start to doubt your abilities or the standards that you have set for yourself. The fear and anxiety could also be external, from family, friends, or teachers. 

Ultimately, this anxiety could lead to an inability to focus properly or even panic attacks during tests. 

Emotional symptoms of exam stress could include: 

• Anxiety 
• Low confidence 
• Worrying excessively
• Fear of failure 
• Lacking concentration
• Intrusive thoughts about the exams 

You might even feel like you have no control over whether or not you can succeed in the exams. 

Physical Symptoms of Exam Stress 

Health comes from inner balance; exam stress can throw off the delicate balance. Hormonal changes can cause physical symptoms, such as: 

Headaches

How are headaches and stress interrelated? A surge of stress hormones like cortisol can trigger headaches and other physical pains. These hormonal surges can also cause tightness in the shoulders or back pain, often related to stress. 

Increased heart rate 

The body increases its heart rate to help you cope with stress by pumping more oxygen around it. Stress also induces a physical fight-or-flight response that causes your heart rate to spike.  Thus, you might experience heart palpitations and an increased heart rate during exam stress. 

Dizziness and blurred vision 

People can become dizzy or experience blurred vision when they’re feeling overwhelmed. It’s because your body releases adrenaline to cope with the stress, disrupting your blood pressure. 

Imbalances in blood pressure disrupt how your eyes perceive depth, causing dizziness. Blurred vision can also result from dehydration, so drink enough water during the exam season. 

Insomnia 

It’s common to have difficulty sleeping during stressful times. Worrying about exams can cause people to stay up late and experience nightmares, leading to insomnia. 

Try to find a way to relax before bedtime or practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation. Some physical exercise to tire you before sleep can also help by releasing the feel-good endorphins that can help you sleep better. 

Exam Stress Management: How You Can Cope With Exam Stress 

You can now proceed to deal with test anxiety now that you know how to recognize it. Here are some exam stress management strategies that could help you cope:

Encourage Yourself More

Remember when you overcame situations that made you afraid or anxious? Give yourself due credit, and be your own cheerleader. 

It all starts in the mind, and having a positive outlook can help you stay focused and confident. 

Think of it this way, exams are just a test, and you can always retake them if necessary. What matters is acquiring the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Grades are simply a representation of that.

Don’t Compare Yourself

It’s too tempting to always compare yourself with your peers, and it may even be helpful sometimes. But comparing yourself to others usually doesn’t get you far. Everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses (backgrounds, strengths, and resources.) 

Similarly, don’t try to be perfect. You’re great as you are. It’s good to aspire to improve but remember that no human is perfect. Instead, focus on continually improving your skills and learning to manage your stress healthily.

Learn Better Study Skills and Habits

As we said, you can constantly improve, and learning to study better and prepare better for exams will ease your mind and reduce your exam stress. 

Check out the study skills and study habits (link to study habits article and see if there’s a way to apply them. You will discover that studying is a skill you can always improve.

Create a More Balanced Life

You might feel overwhelmed, like most students, by the number of items on your to-do list. But you can reduce stress by: 

• Taking the time to take care of yourself 
• Getting some rest 
• Exercising 
• Eating healthily
• Doing whatever makes you happy 

Having the discipline to regularly catch up with your coursework when exams aren’t around the corner will do wonders for your mental and physical health.

Support Yourself During the Exam

Always keep hydrated to keep your internal organs healthy. You can even take your water bottle to the examination room. Take deep breaths, and give yourself affirmations.  

Reflect on your previous studies, focusing on what you covered, not what you didn’t. Remember how you always overcome scary situations. 

Talk to Someone

If you feel that exam stress is too much, talk to someone, like a friend, parent, teacher, or advisor. It’s not a shame to ask for support. It’s a powerful choice to help you feel better and get the desired results faster. 

The thing about talking to trustworthy people is they can help you get a better perspective and offer advice that could be helpful. Even if they can’t help, just talking it out can help you to relax and cope. As the adage goes, “A problem shared is a problem half solved.”

Remember, You Can Turn Things Around if You Fail a Class

It’s never fun to fail a class. It feels terrible, but remember that you can turn things around. Failure is an opportunity to grow and do better. 

You can’t expect perfection all the time, but you can always learn from your mistakes and pick yourself up again. 

You Can Excel at University Anyway 

You’re not alone if you experience exam stress. It’s common. Still, excellence is at your reach and disposal if you’re strategic and disciplined. Just execute the exam stress management steps we listed here, and seek support from your peers and seniors. And if traditional school is getting too much for you, plan on getting into a fully online university like University of the People which offers a great range of academic programs to learners from across the world. 

It won’t be easy at first, but starting is always the most challenging part. Keep working at it, and your consistency will ultimately reward you.