Standardized Test & Test Anxiety.

TAKS. PSAT. AP. SAT. ACT. OAT. GRE. I've taken my fair share of standardized tests over the years and I can honestly say that I feel the same way about them now as I did when I took my first one.
I hate them. (Yes, I know hate is a very strong word. My feelings towards tests are strong.)

Standardized tests are supposed to help schools compare students from different parts of the state/country/world easily.   What these test don't take in to account though is how well people take test.  Some people are natural test takers while others, like me, are not. 

Test taking and I have had a rocky relationship from the start.  Any time I've had to take a major test, my entire body starts to break down.  There have been times that I get sick because of the stress and anxiety leading up to these major tests. 

It would be easy to blame the pre-test anxiety on being ill prepared, but to be honest no amount of preparing and studying have ever made the anxiety disappear completely.  Even in some of my best and favorite subjects, when exam time rolls around, I can't help but feel at least a pinch of anxiety. 

Over the years, I have worked in controlling the anxiety. Some things have worked better than others, but that's to be expected. Here are some tips as tricks that have helped me better prepare for tests and deal with the anxiety. 

• Don't  cram. Seriously, don't do it.  Start reviewing and studying little by little well before the test. 

• Read out loud. Sometimes hearing the words helps remember. 

• Study in an environment similar to the one you'll be testing in. 

• Try to get a good night of sleep before major exams. This was probably one of hardest things for me. I wanted I stay up and study, but the lack of sleep made me more anxious. 

• Breathe. As obvious as it seems, it's easy to forget to breathe. 

• Be comfortable.  

• "If you look good, you feel good."  I attempt to look decent on test days, for myself to trick myself that it's just another day. 

• Be confident. Like Thomas the train engine. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.