How do LSC tutors manage their test anxiety?
Before the exam LSC tutors:
- Prepare! Feeling well-prepared helps them feel less anxious about the exam.
- Do practice tests so they get a sense of what the test will be like. Pro tip: if you can take practice tests under testing conditions (don’t refer to your notes unless you’re allowed to on the test, set a timer, sit for the practice test at the same time of day as your real test, take your practice test in the actual test room if possible) you familiarize your whole self with what the test will be like; this can help reduce worry during the real test.
During the exam LSC tutors:
- Use good time management and awareness.
- Quickly review the entire test and make a rough plan for how to allocate their time.
- Calmly and quickly develop a strategy. Usually they answer the easiest questions first. Why?
- They know their brains will be working in the background on challenging questions while they’re getting the easier questions taken care of.
- Sometimes they can tell they will not have time to complete the entire test, so why not leave blank they questions they are less sure of?
- Are mindful to engage in self-talk that:
- Promotes a growth mindset. (One of our favorite explanations about the growth mindset is in this Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/pN34FNbOKXc)
- Gives them a sense of perspective about this exam in the big picture.
Would you like to learn more?
Check out the LSC’s pages on managing time and stress. Also, take a look at this study on anxiety and academic performance
If you want to explore study strategies to help you feel more prepared for prelims, check out the “How to Study” section on the webpage. Cornell students can self-enroll in the LSC Study Skills modules to learn more about “Preparing for and Taking Exams.”