# Test anxiety is ruining my life.



## Faded Lines (Sep 22, 2006)

Well, I made a very stupid mistake again on an exam. For my anthropology exam, a question asked about binomial nomenclature. Firstly, I am a biology major so all of the biology questions were cake. For some reason on this one, I didn't see Lenaeus (sp?) as an answer and just picked Darwin. The question wasn't specifically, "Who developed binomial nomenclature?". I really don't know why, but I swear on my life I did not see Linneaus as an answer. I asked someone if it was there and they said "Yeah..." Thinking back, it probably was there. Am I losing my mind? What's wrong with me?

I don't want to turn this into a locked thread, but this is truly causing me massive depression. I messed up something that probably everyone knows who ever took a biology course. Worst of all, I DID know it. My mind rotted, blanked out, and I got points off, as usual. I know for a fact now with this that I got 4 wrong out of the 53. That's what I know for sure. It can only go up from there. Please, someone hold me. I can't do exams anymore, they are ruining my life and making me feel unintelligent.

Worst of all, I went into this exam calm and collected. Test anxiety has been killing me in the past, and it killed me again even when I tried to fight it. Second worst of all, I checked my answers. **** me, seriously.

The thing that gets me most is that once the exam is handed in, that's it. No change can be made, and that really irks me.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It's not test anxiety, it's the dwelling/obsessive thoughts going on after the test.
You are fine up until the moment the test is handed in, and then the "what if" thinking goes berserk and you beat yourself up over it. There is nothing you can do about the test until you get it back. Thinking and rationalizing will only cause more distress to you. For now, I would take my mind off of work for a few hours. Do something fun - go for a walk listening to music. The thoughts will come, but you have to learn to let them pass - you are working yourself up when you should be patting yourself on the back for getting as far as you did!


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## Faded Lines (Sep 22, 2006)

Your posts never cease to influence a positive change in my mood. Thanks a lot.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

I hear ya.  My anxiety began with testing situations and it continues to be my main trigger. I just wrote a vertebrate structure midterm this morning and as I walked out I thought, "WAIT! I DO know what the endostyle does!!" But no, it's too late. :b I agree it's just learning what you can control and what you can't and making peace with it. There's nothing we can do now. In the grand scheme of things though it is just a grade on one test. And 49/53 is pretty dang good if that's what you end up with. 

As a side note, testing anxiety kind of ruins my academic life too. If I can't get a professor to take pity and let me write in their office/a space in the hall/a broom closet even I can't even show up. Writing in a lecture hall means guaranteed 0% because 100% of my energy is put towards not bolting. I will sit there and silently be freaking out, shutting the world away, waiting for it all to be over. :no Makes ya wonder why I couldn't have chosen an arts major with more papers and less exams!


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## Ununderstood (Jun 8, 2005)

I always rush through tests cause everyone is quiet and I get nervous and then my stomach starts to growl or something and it's embarrassing. Even though I know how to get the answer, I become anxious and just want to leave so I do it half-as$ed. It's always after we start the test and everything becomes silent though, never before.


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## Faded Lines (Sep 22, 2006)

I just can't do it anymore. I can't stand letting these mistakes overpower my mind for days on end, I literally feel ill.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

Look on the bright side, at least you don't faint while writing a test. :teeth

I agree with milleniumman - distractions! Use them! Have a mad crazy dance party by yourself even. I'm not even kidding, haha.


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## SeanRyan (Mar 29, 2011)

No doubt about it, Test Anxiety feels awful...

I was doing some research the other day on it, and came into some interesting info about blanking out on tests: looks like it can be caused by "stress overload" when literally the brain is flooded with stress hormones.

Here's the really weird thing though: the brain gets so pre-occupied with the stress that it literally TAKES AWAY RESOURCES from memory retrieval, which is exactly what we DON'T need while we take tests.

Looks like it's one explanation for why we blank out in the moment, but can remember answers right after the test is over (because we've finally ESCAPED, i.e. seafolly's comment). Leaving the test area stops the flood of stress hormones and allows more access to our memory again.

Doing all of this reading has led me to some amazing info that I'm actually really excited to share with you all! Check out this link; if you could take a 5 minute survey, and in return I'll give you one of the most POWERFUL and IMMEDIATE ways to Eliminate Test Anxiety so you can stop BLANKING on test questions that you know YOU KNOW, absolutely FREE -

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K5V5PRK

Take care, and good luck on your tests!


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## caithiggs (Jan 11, 2009)

Everybody makes those mistakes !! If you want to fix this problem though, go to your local made scientist and ask to have your brain replaced by a super accurate and intelligent computer. voila, no more mistakes to worry about! 

Haha, no seriously. I, for one, forgive you for making that mistake. Now you should do it too. 

It sucks when you concentrate on your "failures" instead of acheivements. If you are a critical person it comes too naturally. But don't fret past the point that is helpful for you to improve next time (like, might you now decide to double check all of your answers from now on if you didn't this time?) Other than a point like that you need to let go of the dwelling. 

Instead, celebrate the completion of your test.  You deserve a celebration.


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## AnthonyR (Jul 24, 2012)

You can try to listen to my CD titled: No More Test Anxiety on the link provided below. Please share your results so that others can benefit too. I wish you nothing but success on your journey.

Here's the link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/anthonyrizkctnlpcht

With you on the path to success,
Anthony


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Have this problem too. In exams my mind just does a complete blank. Might as well as throw weeks of revision down the bin.


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## sliu (May 1, 2013)

I feel the same way. I can't stop remembering all the areas I would do differently and feel ill waiting.


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## yoconsultinggroup (Nov 5, 2014)

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## yoconsultinggroup (Nov 5, 2014)

Please help us out by taking the following survey. We are rolling out a product that can assist with testing anxiety and want to make sure the messaging is clear and concise.

You will be presented with a series of product messaging pertaining to one particular product. All answers are confidential. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Upon completion we will provide a free trial of the product. To receive this offer please email [email protected] once you have completed the survey.


Survey Link

http://bit.ly/1sfbw6a


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