Test anxiety effects many college students when faced with exams that determine whether they will get their degree or not. Fellow students at Delta State University have offered helpful tips and tricks for overcoming test anxiety.

Test anxiety can appear in a variety of ways. Students sometimes feel nervousness, nausea, racing heartbeat, and loss of memory before or while taking these major exam. Students commonly blank while taking an exam, even if they come well prepared.

Ana Daisy Camarillo is a senior who is a double majoring in Mathematics and Chemistry. She frequently struggles with test anxiety. She says that, “Whenever I am taking a big test, I find myself blanking on everything that I have studied so hard for. It can be very frustrating, since I spend so much time in preparation.”

One thing that helps Camarillo is getting a good night’s sleep before the test. She says that cramming the night before is not helpful, and only creates more stress. She also offers jotting down notes in times of remembrance can help later on the test.

Camarillo creates a test-like atmosphere when she is studying. This way, she will not become overwhelmed when she is in the actual testing-center.

Another student who has successfully overcome bouts of test anxiety is Nicole Vargo, who is a senior Elementary Education major. She explains that “When a student walks into a testing-center, they must realize that they have come as prepared as possible. Taking deep breaths to control heart rate can be helpful to calm down. It’s when you start freaking out and get the heart-rate up that you forget things.”

The Princeton Review offers other helpful tips, such as eating a good meal beforehand, having a positive attitude, and reading questions carefully to overcome test anxiety.

Test anxiety is common among many college students, but luckily there are preventative measures to take in order to overcome it and pass those big tests.