By Aaron Simpson
Whether a student is an incoming student or a senior in college, a good number of students receive test anxiety when it comes to taking finals. According to a survey by Brigham Young University, 64% of students are concerned that the stress level they experience during exam time will negatively affect their grades and academic performance.
Though there can be a healthy level of stress to motivate students to perform their best, many students take on an unhealthy level of stress, including the 12% in the survey who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to help them cope with stress. In order to help students with preparing for finals, the State University of New York (SUNY) has some tips that can help students become more successful during Finals Week.
One of the best ways to prepare is not to cram. Studying in increments and giving yourself 5-10-minute breaks in more beneficial than cramming because distributing learning over time helps the body retain information better. Cramming also is a cause of anxiety, which lowers the body’s ability to retain information. With a balanced study plan and schedule, there is a higher chance with better performance on tests.
It also helps to minimize distractions, research shows that listening to music, texting, or watching TV causes people to be less likely to retain information. It is suggested that if music is listened to, make in an instrumental track.
The most important tip to remember is to avoid pulling and all-nighter. Based on a study from St. Lawrence University, these impair memory and reasoning up to four days, which can result in lower grades. According to the University of North Texas, this interferes with rapid eye movement, which aids memory.
A little stress for a test can be beneficial as it can motivate one to study harder and take tests more seriously, but one should be smart in their study habits. Not cramming for tests and not pulling all-nighters, along with minimizing distractions can help improve your test scores.