¿Cómo lidiar con la ansiedad previa a un examen?
Si estás preparando tu examen de inglés TOEFL® y te sientes con ansiedad, en este artículo encontrarás información sobre los tipos de ansiedad, sus causas y cómo reducirla.
Types of anxiety
To deal with test anxiety, you first have to consider if your stress is rational or irrational. For example, if you haven’t prepared the TOEFL® test thoroughly, haven’t done any practice tests, and have started studying only a week before the test, your fear may be rational: you are tense and nervous because you don’t feel you are well prepared. You can always reduce such tension by planning more carefully and improving how you manage your time.
If, on the other hand, you have prepared well (maybe by taking a TOEFL® preparation course), started studying well in advance, did practice tests on your own, and still feel extremely nervous, your anxiety might be totally irrational. You will then need to adopt different strategies to overcome your fear.
Feeling anxious could also happen before and during a test. Some students feel agitated well before the test – in fact, they may even feel nervous when preparing for the test or thinking about the day of the test. This state is known as «anticipatory anxiety». Other students feel nervous and stressed during the test itself, which is called «situational anxiety».
Causes of test anxiety
Test anxiety can have different causes, which can be divided into three categories:
ORGANIZATIONAL
Sometimes, students feel nervous before a test as a result of poor organizational habits, which have compromised their ability to prepare effectively and develop confidence. The problems are usually evident in terms of poor time management and disorganized study spaces.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Sometimes, students develop a lack of confidence based on past negative academic experience. The fear of failure and negative thinking cause them to worry about the future, and heighten the sense of psychological and societal pressure to perform well on the test.
BEHAVIORAL
Sometimes, students simply get caught up with other activities and don’t study enough! This is the result of a number of factors – delaying their studies, not acquiring the appropriate books and materials, hanging around with wrong friends, not getting enough sleep, eating unhealthy foods, or partying too much.
Reducing Test Anxiety
So, what can we do? Luckily, there are a number of concrete strategies you can use to reduce and minimize test anxiety before your TOEFL® test.
MENTAL STRATEGIES
The mental strategies presented below all focus on developing effective study habits. The point here is that by preparing adequately and well in advance, you will have the greatest confidence and the least amount of fear and tension.
-
Start preparing months in advance. That way you will have plenty of time to make progress and practice your test-taking skills.
-
Get the best textbooks on the market. To do this, check the internet and read textbook reviews. Or ask friends who had done TOEFL® courses before or who have studied for the exam on their own.
-
Set up a study plan, based on the time you have available. Be realistic about it. Keep in mind that short, regular study sessions are better than longer, once-a-week sessions.
-
Study in a clean, well-organized environment. Find a place at home where you feel comfortable.
-
Keep your study materials in the same place so you can find them easily. This way you can keep track of where you left off and continue from there.
-
Allow more time to develop skills in your weaker areas. Your aim should be to always strengthen those areas that require more attention and to maintain those areas that are already strong.
-
Join a TOEFL iBT® class at a test preparation centre or language school. Learning to do the TOEFL® test can be boring. Being in a group helps you keep motivated.
-
Find a study partner and meet regularly to test each other. You can even practice for the speaking section: one of you gives a response and the other gives feedback.
-
Begin a vocabulary development program. Jot down words that you don’t know and which appear frequently on the practice exams. Write new words on index cards (the new word on the front and a definition and a sentence on the back.) Review this vocabulary on a regular basis.
-
Read, listen, speak and write as much English as possible, especially in English as a Foreign Language contexts. The Internet is full of interesting resources (see previous posts on this blog).
PHYSICAL STRATEGIES
Obviously, your brain can perform at its best only if you have taken good care of your body.
-
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is OK to party from time to time, but if you do it every night, you won’t feel good enough to learn the skills necessary to do well on the TOEFL® test.
-
Eat healthy foods. Your brain needs good nutrition to perform well.
-
Sleep adequately. Being exhausted will not help you in any way.
-
Take short, frequent breaks while studying. The effect is that you will remember more.
-
Exercise regularly to keep your body fit and healthy. Doing regular exercise gives you a break from all the studying and practicing.
-
Reduce your dependence on caffeine or nicotine. You will not be able to drink coffee or smoke during your exam.
EMOTIONAL STRATEGIES
The following ideas may help you to feel stronger emotionally:
-
Be strong, positive, and calm. Starting a few days previous to the exam, visualize yourself getting the score you want or need.
-
Plan time for relaxation – it will boost your efficiency. Preparing for such a difficult, time-consuming test requires a lot of effort and you deserve regular breaks.
-
Never give up on yourself. Your life is made up of many elements, not just academic. If you do not get the desired score, you can always take the test again and improve your results.
-
Get the support of relatives and friends. Tell them about the test and what you are going through. Ask them to respect your study times and to be patient.
Conclusión
To overcome the tension created in preparation for the TOEFL® test, you must first understand your anxiety, in terms of its type and causes.
Then you can choose the best coping mechanisms for your particular situation.
