How To Help Your Teen Stay Calm for Finals, SATs, ACTs and More
Does your teen start biting her nails to the bone at the thought of the impending spring testing frenzy? The obvious clue around our house is a lack of erasers. By late April, each and every pencil has lost the little pink thing at the end. My daughter’s test anxiety doesn’t only manifest itself with chewed erasers. She also has a hard time sleeping the night before, which is never a good thing when the test taker needs to be well rested.
My daughter is not alone. Many students claim that test anxiety affects their performance on exams. As spring testing approaches, the pressures of back-to-back finals and standardized college entrance exams are enough to send the most confident teen into a tail spin. However, with the right preparation, your teen will realize that tests are nothing to lose sleep over.
Is your teen suffering from “test anxiety” or is he simply a bit nervous? Mike Malmon-Berg, PhD, a psychologist and Coordinator of Mental Health Services at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, explains, “Test anxiety is a specific condition that results from the fear of a negative evaluation. It is similar to the anxiety experienced by employees who are about to be reviewed by a supervisor.”
Malmon-Berg reports that virtually everyone experiences some form of nervousness while taking exams, but approximately 20 percent of students suffer from test anxiety, which he says is characterized by two distinct symptoms. Malmon-Berg describes, “The first is a level of angst that is disproportionate to the actual threat or consequences. The second characteristic is a degree of distraction that has a significant negative effect on the individual’s performance.”
Parents shouldn’t feel helpless. There are many ways you can help your teen put testing in perspective. Malmon-Berg points out, “Parents can help in several ways. They need to realize that their job is to help take pressure off their teen, not add to it with demands and quotas.” He warns not to make comments such as “Your college future depends on this grade.” He also adds, “Ironically, most students who experience test anxiety tend already to be fairly high achievers who put undue pressure on themselves. Parents can help by providing a perspective.” Malmon-Berg suggests that parents offer encouraging comments such as “You’ve always done well in this subject” or “I believe in you, even if sometimes you don’t believe in yourself.” He explains, “These will go a long way toward taking a bit of the edge off.” He also advises that parents use humor to take the excess seriousness out of the situation. Parents should remind their teen that one test is not life or death and that a less than desirable grade can be made up for in many other ways.
If your teen has test accommodations due to a disability, be sure she knows what these accommodations are ahead of time (i.e. special seating, extra time, use of a computer, etc.), so that she knows what to expect the day of the exam. Note: Teens taking college entrance exams must apply for accommodations several months ahead of the test date.
Even if your teen doesn’t have severe test anxiety, she will still benefit from any assistance and encouragement you can give. Specific test-taking strategies will help ease her nerves before, during, and after the big test.
Before
- Don’t cram. Prepare well in advance with multiple study sessions.
- Ask for help (from your teacher, professor or competent student).
- Time yourself on practice tests to ease your worry about time constraints.
- Lightly review an outline of basic facts shortly before the exam.
- Prepare your body. A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast go a long way.
- Enroll in a test preparation class in advance of college entrance exams.
During
- Take a deep breath.
- Use positive “self-talk.”
- Scan the entire test briefly so there are no surprises as you go along.
- Read directions carefully. Take special note of these words: Always, sometimes, never, not.
- Take your time and check your work.
- Don’t fret if you don’t know an answer. Skip it and try another.
After
- Take a walk.
- Plan to go somewhere afterwards to take your mind off the test.
- Keep mistakes and grades in perspective—what’s the worst that can happen?
Tips and Tales (from Teens)
“Most teachers take a lot of what they put on the tests and quizzes right into the exam. Look over previous tests to see what you did wrong and correct them. The morning of the exam, and before going to school, I take 10 to 15 minutes to rehash the things that I studied.” –Ammon Doney; Essex Junction, VT
“I try not to over-cram my brain because I know I will lose all the material in my head. The one thing that I do that really calms me down and helps me out is to chew gum. For some reason that always relaxes me.” –Sammy Giansante; Berlin, NJ
“Before a major exam, I’m usually anxious, so I don’t think clearly. I try to concentrate on giving it my all because the studying part is over and it’s just time to show all that I know.” –Julie Montera; Woodstock, NY
“To stay calm, I usually just think about the good feeling I get after taking the exam and feeling like I did the best that I could have.” –Brittany Vuozzo; Potsdam, NY
Prep for College Entrance Exams
- Purchase review books.
- Take a class: This is more comprehensive. Some programs offer individual help with the parts of the exam your teen is having trouble with.
- Relax: You can take the exam again to try for a higher score.