By: Sarah Loya

Follow me on Twitter @OwlFeedSarah

The EOCAs are coming around the corner and panic is setting in. For people who are like me and have test anxiety, you know that this is the worst time of the year. With the constant panic of, “This is it, this determines my future and I’m going to be a failure,” in the back of your mind it can be emotionally and mentally draining. So here are some tips on how to calm down before your test:

• Accept that you will have some anxiety — Your anxiety will not disappear in a matter of seconds so it is likely you will have to deal with it throughout the week.
• Breathing methods— Breathe in for four seconds, hold it for five, and then breathe out for six. This will help your mind clear out and you can go into your test feeling better.
• Listen to music — If your teacher lets you listen to music, it’s better to listen to relaxing music just so your mind can calm down.
• Chew gum/mints — If you study while chewing gum/mints and you chew the same kind while taking the test, it will let your mind remember the familiarity of it and help you remember what you studied.
• Make a fist and squeeze tight — It relieves stress and tension.
• Buy a stress ball — Same thing as making a fist, but it won’t hurt your palm in the process.
• Take your time — If the test is not timed, then use it to your advantage and take your time, but if it’s not, then pace yourself at a time you can keep up with.
• Try not to beat yourself up over your test scores — It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get the perfect score.

The key to calming down is to take a minute from your test and go through any coping method you need to do so you can get back into it. Your anxiety won’t disappear completely, but hopefully this will help you calm down enough for you to finish your finals so you can go home and sleep the stress away.

Finals Schedule

12/17 Thursday: Periods 1-2

12/18 Friday: Periods 3-4