Exam Tension

[M3mph15]

My girlfriend has this problem she forgets everything that she has studied when she goes and sits down in the exam hall.
She wants to get into Med -school but it is very tuff in INDIA. Our state has about 650 medical seats and there is tuff competion for it. But she is a very capable student as she was school first in mathematics in tenth grade.Our High school exams are starting in the month of March.Can anyone suggest me some ways in which i can help her out? She is very hardworking and sincere but she jus doesn't seem to get anything right when she sits in the exam hall.....

[Raion]

Do what I do..cheat Just kidding, maybe if she gets up at 4am starts studing till it's time to leave it might be easier for her to remember the things she studied because of the peacefullness at 4am and because her mind would be blank. Also a good breakfast should help.

[©opy®ight]

mathematics

You can spell mathematics but not TOUGH ?

tell her to take a good luck charm with her or something, or tell her to pretend it's not an exam and its just a normal test. Why does she get so nervous if she studied and knows everything, its not like they're gonna make up questions not in the book or that hasnt been thought by the teacher !

[M3mph15]

well she wants this med seat badly and she fears that she ight not get it as she isn,t doing as well in high school as she did in tenth grade how can i help her

[Winds8929]

This might sound sappy or cliche, but one of the best ways to help her would be to be there for her during everything. Help her study, offer to give her small 'home quizzes' after she studies (you can use her books, most of the ones I've read had small quizzes after each chapter or section). Help her study, don't let her go crazy studying though (from personal experience, even sitting still reading can be physically abusive.. don't let her sit still for hours).

Also, like Copyright said, you can try to calm her nerves for the exam. Exams really aren't that bad, and you can fly through them if you aren't nervous. It's being nervous that fails some people. Tell her not to rush (most people try to ruch through the questions and don't read some parts, which is a VERY big mistake.. some questions must be read fully and carefully to be answered, and she may come in contact with some trick questions).

Other than that, make sure she goes to sleep the night before and doesn't stay up nervously studying or something. And make sure to tell her Goodluck from AO and we hope she gets her seat.

[jonathans_daddy]

Sorry Raion but "Test Anxiety" is not cured by studying at 4AM and eating breakfast. It's a much deeper problem than that. My wife struggled with it all through high school and college. It was so bad that I refused to take any classes with her because she would get pissed if I did well and she froze. It's largely a matter of confidence. Confidence that you have studied and do know the material. Confidence that the instructor (probalbly) isn't trying to trick you with the wording of questions. Confidence that if you do happen to perform poorly that it does not mean you are doomed to a lifetime of asking "would you like to Super Size that?". Once you have confidence in yourself you can relax and take the exam with no difficulty. Sadly, with some people it is very difficult to get that confidence.

I did a quick search on Google and found some good suggestions...
http://www.studygs.net/tstprp8.htm
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/mcanx.html

[mathgirl32]

I had test anxiety as an undergrad and went to a specialist to get help. This is what they said would help:

1. When you are studying, if you are feeling anxious, or if you are trying to "cram", the anxiety is basically taken in and associated with the information you are trying to learn and remember. Then during the test, as you are trying to recall that information, the anxiety, mood, fear, etc., that was taken in during study time will come out. So, study at a relaxed pace, make sure that your mood is good, optimistic, etc., play some enjoyable music, study in a place that is comfortable, or visually pleasing, and then when you have to recall information there shouldn't be a lot (or any) negative feelings associated with them.

2. They said don't even study the night before the test.....go to a movie (or some other fun activity)

3. Don't show up early (not even 5 minutes) the day of the test. Hearing things like "Did you remember to study abc!!??", "I think he said all of chapter 10 will be on the test", "My roommate has him and totally failed this test!" will produce anxiety.

This was basically all they said. I followed this advice and it worked. It worked so well I think it's fair to say I now have test apathy.

[TheSpecialist]

I had test anxiety as an undergrad and went to a specialist to get help.

Yeah cause im just so smart, right?

Actually I've somehow slipped through the first through fourth grade and I had never bothered to study... I mean I just never did that, man. By the time I was about 13 school was pretty much just a waste of my time so I stoped going right then and there. Seriously, most people would be better off just doing nothing and collecting some cash from the goverment each month or working some low-end jobs and be poor like me, do the GED thing, BOOM suddenly your in and colledge is already paid for. Thats about half of most people's worries poof... gone.