As the fall semester comes to an end, some students at the University of Memphis may face test anxiety as they prepare for their final exams.
Victoria Jones, a U of M Counseling Center therapist, said it is normal for students to get test anxiety as both final exams and midterms approach.
“Testing anxiety comes from when a person has irrational fear that’s associated with performing on a test,” Jones said. “Whether they have studied and feel prepared, a phenomenon has happened where everything goes blank in their mind.”
Some causes of test anxiety are a fear of failure, lack of preparation and poor testing history, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Some symptoms of test anxiety include headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating, a rapid heartbeat and a feeling of helplessness.
“This is the time of year where stress is going to come up, so definitely be prepared for it,” Jones said. “Make sure to make time for yourself as well. We’re committed to doing all these other things, and we don’t make time for ourselves, and that’s super important to do, the things that are going to relax and calm us in the midst of all the stress.”
Students may be nervous about a test for a variety of reasons, such as the difficulty of the test, having a lot of information to memorize or feeling uncomfortable about being watched by a proctor.
Jones said students who are facing testing anxiety can visit the Counseling Center in Wilder Tower to get help. Walk-in hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“I think the most stressful (exam) is for microbiology for nursing because it’s online,” Ashley Carroll, a 19-year-old nursing student said. “But it’s through ProctorU (a test-taking website), so I have somebody watching me through the webcam, and that’s what stresses me out.”
Kelsey Taylor, a 19-year-old commercial music performance student, said she has anxiety about her music exams because she has to memorize different musical pieces and perform them for her instructor.
“I’m just going to spend the whole weekend playing pieces over and over and over again until I get them drilled into my head,” Taylor said.
Wes Brown, a 22-year-old journalism student, said he plans to dedicate a whole week to focus on his final exams. He said even though he is stressed, he has a positive outlook on finals week.
“It’s good to freak out a little bit,” Brown said. “It’s good to have that instinct that kicks in and tells you, ‘Hey, you’ve got shit coming up. You should probably be worried about it,’ but at the end of the day, teachers care. They want to see you do well.”
Brian Zhao, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering major and ROTC student, said he thinks students who are anxious about final exams should find time to take a break from worrying.
“If you are getting tired from just all that studying, remove yourself from your books and everything and take a 10-to-15-minute break, whether it be watching a YouTube video, listening to some music, getting up and stretching (or) go get some water,” Zhao said.
Wes Brown, a journalism student at the University of Memphis, studies for his Spanish final exam in the Ned R. McWherter Library. Some students may face test anxiety as they prepare for their final exams.
