Pre-Test Anxiety in College Students

Some college students experience pre-test anxiety that can stem from many causes, manifest in a variety of signs and symptoms, and influence test performance. Professors' pre-test conduct also can factor into students experience of pre-test anxiety, according to Emory.edu.

Symptoms

Pre-test anxiety can manifest through physical, emotional, psychological and cognitive signs and symptoms. Symptoms include rapid heartbeat and breathing, upset stomach, muscle tension, feeling out of sorts, nervousness, poor concentration, reduced ability to stay organized and negative internal dialogue.

Rational versus Irrational

The pre-test anxiety that college students experience is categorized as rational when based on causes such as poor preparation. Pre-test anxiety in college students is categorized as irrational when a well-prepared student who has internalized the material still works himself into a near-panic.

Causes

Causes of the lack of preparation that lead to rational anxiety tend towards poor organization and time-management skills, but can include distracting circumstances such as family crisis or illness. With irrational anxiety, the cause tends to lie in a student's inclination towards too high self-expectations.

Professorial Influence

Professorial commentary can precipitate pre-test anxiety, an Emory University study found, as described at Emory.edu. Relating past failures, reminders of time limits and test significance, and even pleasantries such as good luck induced anxiety in students who indicated a preference to hear just to the instructions.

Outcomes

Students experiencing pre-test anxiety for rational reasons typically will not perform well on the specific test because of inadequate preparation. However, students who experience irrational pre-test anxiety also may not perform well on in context of such a state because stress levels interfere with the ability to understand questions and test directions.

Coping Strategies

For rational test anxiety, the coping strategies involve correcting the root causes of unpreparedness and include the development of a study routine and other good study habits such as periodic review and intermittent study during the summer break. For irrational test anxiety, maintaining a regular study routine also factors into coping strategies but, additionally, incorporating positive self-talk and stress management practices such as relaxation techniques into your personal routine can minimize your pre-test anxiety.

References

• Earnmydegree.com: Coping With Text Anxiety
• Emory.edu: Professors' Casual Comments Can Cause Pre-Test Anxiety Among Students