Exam Anxiety (Copy)
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Strategies for International Students to Manage Anxiety Around Exams
It’s exam time!
Did your heart just sink or are you excited?
Is your anxiety running amok or do you have things under control?
If you’re having difficulty managing your anxiety, read on!
Understand that Anxiety Isn’t Always Bad
Anxiety is actually meant to help us! Yes, really!
Here are some of the ways anxiety benefits us:
Keeps us safe from danger. Have you ever been in a situation that made you feel uneasy? That was likely your self-preservation kicking in, trying to make you aware of possible harm. Anxiety can actually keep you safe by making you aware of an unsafe situation that you need to remove yourself from.
Directs us to what needs our attention. When a thought or situation repeatedly causes anxiety, it’s our minds and bodies trying to tell us, “Hey, this is important!” It can help us see something that needs our attention.
Provides energy to take action. The energy that is feeding the anxious thoughts and behaviors gives us exactly what we need to take action and get unstuck. When we don’t take action, we’re bottling up that feeling inside and it can leave us spinning our wheels going nowhere.
The problem arises when our anxiety is out of control, leaving us paralyzed and confused.
What do we do then?
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Wondering what “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” means?
It’s an American saying which means it’s easier and simpler to stop a problem from happening than trying to fix or correct it afterwards.
When you take consistent action to stay on top of your studies during the semester, you’ll find exam time much easier to manage because you won’t be trying to cram everything you learned into a small window of time before the exam.
Here are some ways to practice prevention (and help lower your anxiety):
Attend all of your classes: This one is obvious! But remember—as an international student it’s even more important for you to maintain a minimum average if you want to stay in the U.S.
Take good notes: This can be difficult when English isn’t your first language. If note-taking is particularly difficult for you, muster up your courage and ask for help. Try to find American peers who are good at note-taking and are friendly and approachable. Ask them if they would mind sharing their notes. In my experience, I’ve found that peers are usually helpful. You can also check to see if note-taking services are available at your school or in your class.
Study what you learned regularly: Schedule time in your calendar to review your notes daily if you can, and weekly at a minimum.
Consider group studying: Depending on your personal needs/style, learning and studying with others can be particularly effective—so long as you’re actually studying and not gossiping during your time together!
Prepare systematically: A couple of weeks before an exam, set up a review or study schedule and give yourself enough time to digest and understand the material.
Learn from your past: When it comes to understanding and retaining information, what did you do in the past that worked really well for you? If you can identify things you’ve done that worked well, apply those same behaviors in your present situation.
Understand the purpose of the exam: Exams are NOT an opportunity to frustrate, defeat, or beat yourself up. Exams are helpful to your professors to assess how well you understand the material in their class. But it’s also for your benefit. It’s a touch point for you to reflect on what you learned and an opportunity to assess how well you understand the information.
What To Do When Your Anxiety is High
When your anxiety is at an uncomfortable level, you need to implement strategies to help lower it to a more manageable level:
Take deep breaths. Don’t skip this step! Although it’s simple and you’ve probably heard it thousands of times, it’s effective. Too often people overlook this simple technique because they think it won’t work. Trust me. Throughout the day, pause, take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a moment, then slowly exhale through your mouth. As it gets closer to exam time, do this more frequently. When you do, you’re helping your body regulate its breathing and lower your heart rate—and when this happens you’re increasing your capacity to function well. You’re able to memorize and understand information better and improve your performance.
Do not neglect yourself! Adequate sleep is important year round and is particularly critical as you’re preparing for exams because how you feel affects your performance. It also affects your health. When you’re sleep deprived, you’re more likely to get sick. Illness is the last thing you want to worry about when you’re in the middle of exams!
Stick to a sleep schedule that works for you. You should wake up feeling well rested. If you can, create a restful environment. Keep your sleep space organized, tidy and clean. Keep it dark and avoid going on your phone or electronic device just before going to bed. You might also want to consider a bedtime routine that helps your body recognize that hey, it’s time to relax and go to sleep!
Eat well. Simply put—avoid foods and beverages that make you feel sluggish and unwell. Eat and drink things that give you energy and help you feel great! It makes it so much easier to manage anxiety when you’re giving your body excellent fuel. When your body feels great, it performs what you need it to do!
Exercise regularly. Exercise reduces feelings and symptoms associated with anxiety because it can distract you from focusing on the very thing causing the anxiety!
And the best part about it? It doesn’t really matter what kind of exercise you do, so long as it’s enjoyable to you and you’re moving your body!
And even better, if you engage in exercise regularly, you’re helping yourself to build resilience against strong emotions.
To get the most out of exercising:
Pick something that you enjoy doing so you’ll do it often
Aim to get your heart rate up
Benefit from social support by working out with a friend or group
If you can, exercise outdoors because this can further decrease stress and anxiety
Final Thoughts: What if I’m Not Doing Well in a Class?
International student, did you know that you can, and should, negotiate with professors if you need to boost your grades?
Some of you may feel hesitant about this idea. In fact, this is something students do in the U.S.!
Approach your professor and ask them if there is anything you can do to get extra credit and help bump up your grade. You can also come up with ideas on your own and present them to your professor.
An international student I worked with was failing a course. She tried to do the extra assignments for credit, but failed those, too, because she struggled to understand the course material. At my suggestion, she approached the professor and received permission to complete an extra assignment that she thought of—it was related to the course topic, but was something she understood and could do well. She even enlisted the help of two other students who were also failing the course and all three students got a passing grade because of the extra assignment they completed!
Remember this! If you’re taking a mid-term, that means whatever grade you receive is not final. There is still time to do things that can boost your grade. And if you fail the course, you can take it again in the summer. You get a second chance!
Having Trouble Managing Your Exam Anxiety? Schedule a Free Call with Me!
If you’re an international student looking for help navigating and controlling your anxiety around exams, schedule a free 30-minute call with me and together we’ll discuss strategies to help you succeed during exam time!
About The Author
Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!