• Avoid discussing the exam just before class. Someone may mention something that makes you feel unprepared and trigger anxiety. 

• Don’t worry if other students finish and you are only half done. Remind yourself that different people work at different speeds. Take your time, relax, and check your work. 

• If you are distracted by sounds in the room, choose a desk away from the hallway, door, and teacher’s desk. 

• Be careful of what you eat and drink before tests. Sugar and caffeine make many people edgy, nervous, and irritable. Remember that soft drinks contain a lot of caffeine and sugar, so try to avoid them, as well as too much coffee, chocolate, and tea. 

• Eat balanced meals before exams, with plenty of protein and carbohydrates, to assure yourself of a good supply of energy without the ups and downs brought on by too much caffeine and sugar. 

• Exercise before an exam. Often, walking for twenty to thirty minutes will calm you down and give you a relaxed feeling as you enter the test room. 

• Many students put more pressure on themselves by thinking stress-building thoughts. This exam is crucial to my future. I have to do well, or I’ll never pass the class. This kind of thinking is counter-productive. 

• Don’t view tests as traps. Try to see them as a chance to show off what you know, to demonstrate to the professor what you’ve learned. 

• Rather than tell yourself how tough the test is, how worried you are, and how crucial a good grade is, try positive self-talk. Say things like this: Okay, I feel good about this exam because I’ve prepared well. I’m ready to show what I know.