<p>I have terrible test anxiety.</p>
<p>When I took the PSAT last October for the first time as a sophomore, I couldn't remember my address. Before I got to school to take it, I started crying hysterically and could barely control myself. And it's not just the PSAT. Every time I go to take a test, my teeth start chattering and I begin shivering/shaking, my hands get sweaty as hell, my heart pounds at a ridiculous pace, and I nearly **** myself (excuse my language). I can't think straight...and the fact that the clock is ticking away only makes it worse.
I mean I understand the material. I get it mostly right on the homework and practice, but yet when I go to take the test, I don't get decent grades (math and science). I usually get solid grades on tests in Spanish, but lately my scores have been going down the drain because I feel especially pressured to do well in her class because she decides my fate of going into AP Spanish Language for my senior year (if I made it in, I'd be the only one from my class to take it.)
I didn't get a good PSAT score either, and it makes me feel incredibly dumb. </p>
<p>*** is wrong with me? Anyone know of anything I could do to treat this?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>To combat your test anxiety you should probably try practicing taking tests under pressure, that way you won’t feel as nervous because you’ve had some practice. And don’t worry, most of us aren’t natural born test takers anyway…</p>
<p>That sounds a bit like an anxiety attack. I cannot evaluate the severeness of your anxiety through the Internet, but if tests cause you to be genuinely distressed, you could try talking to a therapist. I wouldn’t worry too much about it since you don’t mention ever feeling this way unexpectedly or in other situations, but it could still help.</p>
<p>Thanks, I’ll check into that. </p>
<p>But will I do when I take the ACT? What if I do poorly on that too?</p>
<p>^ I know people always tell you to calm down and not stress over what makes you nervous, but I’ve found that thinking about and getting anxious over something days before it happens makes me more calm when the day actually comes. Then again, I’m weird, but try seeing what works for you.</p>
<p>Other than that: practice a lot, sleep well before the test, go to the bathroom before the test, bring anything with you that you think you might need (I took a cloth to clean my glasses because cleaning them with my shirt smudges them and not seeing clearly gets on my nerves, for example), take a couple of sharpened pencils so that you don’t feel you’re wasting time sharpening them… Most of what I can think of is pretty clich</p>
<p>Don’t put the blame of your *<strong><em>ty test performance on your ‘test anxiety.’ We all get nervous during tests, broseph. But when we get *</em></strong>ty test scores, we don’t put the blame on it, or anything else for that matter, besides our own inadequacies and shortcomings.</p>
<p>The question is, have you prepared for the test? Are you confident that you learned all you need to learn? Tell yourself that and you’ll be fine. If you studied there’s no reason you should be nervous.</p>
<p>Visualize the preferred result the night before and regularly before the test, and you’ll have more confidence. Also take deep breaths and concentrate on your preparation.</p>
<p>Yes, even if I do prepare for a test, I still feel ridiculously nervous. </p>
<p>Thanks guys.</p>
<p>@Fat_Nerd Don’t be a ******. If you’ve got no advice, don’t post anything.</p>
<p>Haha thanks drinkyoupretty. I was thinking the same thing :P.</p>