Test anxiety is a condition most students experience at some point in their college career.  While stressing over a test is a normal thing, test anxiety becomes a problem when it begins to affect test performance, social interactions and other aspects of life, according to a presentation by the ULM Counseling Center.

“Test anxienty is a psychological condition in which a person experiences stress before, during or after a test or other assessment to such an extent that the anxiety causes poor performance or interferes with normal learning,” said Russell Hollis, counselor at the ULM Counseling Center and presenter of the workshop.

Josh McDowell, a senior health studies major, described his past experience with test anxiety.

“[I used to have test anxiety] quite often, especially when I took the GRE… I was nauseous, nervous, the whole spiel,” McDowell said.

Hollis said proper preparation is vital to making sure you do not experience test anxiety.  He said being prepared included organizing time to study, creating study schedules, preparing well in advance and diversifying study methods.

Hollis stressed self-care as an important part of relieving test anxiety, which includes eating healthy, staying active, keeping a moderate pace when studying, knowing when it gets to be overwhelming, getting plenty of sleep the night before a big exam and avoiding alcohol and other drugs.

The last aspect  Hollis went over was relaxation, which included techniques such as relaxation breathing, rest, exercise and other ways to relieve stress.

“This is what you signed up for.  If you want it, own it, claim it and prepare for it.  It’s better to be prepared than to be lying flat on your back and wishing you had prepared,” Hollis said.