Strategies to Ease Test of Nerves That Is Final Exam Week

It’s the time of year when my classroom is boiling by 9 a.m. and my students fight over the few desks on the shady side of the room.

No doubt about it--summer is just a few lunch periods away.

But, unfortunately, local students can’t leave for vacations or summer jobs until they’ve run one last gantlet: final exams.

If you’re in junior or senior high school, your exams most likely begin tomorrow or next week, so the biggest chunk of your preparation is over. You’ve done all the studying, reviewing and self-quizzing you can handle without exploding.

Now it’s time to get your body ready for the exams. Here are some simple ways to do it.

First, make sure you sleep about eight hours the night before a test. Don’t stay up studying, no matter how desperate you are. You need the sleep more than you need the disjointed bits of “crammed” material that you would probably be too tired to remember anyway.

Breakfast is especially important on exam day, but avoid the doughnuts and soft drinks that seem to be the custom for a lot of my students. Sugar may seem like a great source of instant energy, but “I wouldn’t recommend it,” warns Dr. Alison Erde, a family practitioner in Santa Monica. “It stresses the endocrine system, (so) a lot of people end up feeling pretty tired after about an hour or so.”

Many students drink a cup of coffee before an exam, and this may be a good idea, said Erde. Caffeine can help. “It actually activates you, makes you pay more attention to things. You can concentrate better at certain doses,” she said.

But drinking coffee for an exam works best if you also drank it while studying, because conditions should be as constant as possible. And don’t drink too much; one or two cups should do it.

Get to your classroom early, sit down and set up your paper, pens, calculator or other supplies. You’ll have time to hit the restroom or ask your teacher any final questions.

Resist the temptation to study at the last minute--it might just confuse you at this point. Instead, take a few minutes to relax and refresh your body so you’ll be able to concentrate better and avoid the panic that hits many students when they first look at the exam.

Sit in a comfortable position. I know a lot of teachers claim you’ll think better if you sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor, but forget that. I say you’ll do better if you’re comfortable--even if that means the lotus position.

Next, slowly inhale a deep breath, hold it for about three seconds, then exhale slowly. Do this three to five times.

Thinking positively is also a big key to getting relaxed, according to my colleague Daniel Escalera, a social studies teacher who leads his students through a quick “relaxer” before each exam. “They have to recognize any negative thoughts that may come from the teacher or environment, and literally smile and don’t let that affect them,” he explains.

Another successful method, said Escalera, is to spend a minute focusing on letting each of your body parts go limp, from your eyebrows to your shoulders down to your toes. “Now you’re concentrating on something other than the exam, and relaxing your body at the same time,” explained Escalera.

Once you’ve got the test in your hands, take a few more slow, deep breaths as you skim the questions and carefully read all of the instructions twice. You’ll stay more relaxed and focused if you have a general overview and know exactly what you’re supposed to do.

Finally, find a few questions that are easiest for you, and go on from there, comfortably pacing yourself by keeping an eye on the clock.

Now that you’ve reached the ancient Athenian ideal of a sound mind and sound body, nothing can stop you!