Exams are right around the corner and you know what that means: stress. AP Stats and Calc classes have their finals on April 20th and April 27th. AP exams are looming around the corner and begin the first week of May. Finals begin on Tuesday, May 28 and the schedule has already been released.
To save yourself from consuming test anxiety and unnecessary stress, here are five of my favorite tips to ensure you crush your exams while practicing mental wellness.
- Prepare early: Hitting the books a week before your exams can significantly boost your performance while also improving your mental well-being. Scrambling to prepare for exams at the last minute can be a serious source of stress. In 2021, NIH found that “higher mental distress before exams increased the risk of developing more perceived stress during exams.” This perceived stress is what causes many students’ exam performances to deteriorate.
- Start sleeping: Getting at least eight hours of sleep in the nights leading up to the test is essential to reducing test anxiety. A study performed by the University of Kansas verifies the link between test anxiety and sleep, showing that “sleep and anxiety feed one another, hurting academic performance predictably.”
- Quit the junk food: Eating nutritious foods with vitamins and minerals can also improve test anxiety during exam week by putting your body at ease
- Limit caffeine intake: Reducing caffeine intake also decreases your chance of experiencing test anxiety. Don’t panic coffee lovers; I’m not saying cut out coffee—just limit how much you drink
- Exercise, exercise, and exercise!: Hitting the gym, running, or playing sports has significant positive effects on mental health, and building this habit can work wonders on exam day.
If you follow these tips, I guarantee you’ll feel better going into exam day. As Dr. Maginnis once wisely said, “You don’t have to be the best, just be your best.” These pesky tests will feel like a breeze and you’ll feel like 100 bucks going into summer break!
