I have a major school problem of underestimating myself when it comes to exams. I started uni this year. In elementary and high-school I always had straight A's (sometimes with a few occasional B's in high-school) and nailed the final exams. I'm not the nerdy type, I never studied too much... So far I've done quite well (sometimes even very well) on all the exams that I had in uni, overall I'm currently probably the best one in our class. However, I have some big final exams coming in January and I'm stressed out. I constantly think of failing the exams. This has always been a part of my life, I would even cry when I was about to take the graduation exams in high-school... I don't know what to do. Is this something I can sort out without a psychologist, just on my own? Do you have any personal experience with this kind of problem? Any advices, guys? :help: Thanks in advance! :smilewave
Realize life will go on if you bomb a test. I used to "catastrophize" everything until I realized that no one cared you get a C+ in basket weaving of the southern Sudan tribes. If you are this conscientious about things you clearly are studying enough. Don't worry, don't sell yourself short. My professors constantly said I underestimate myself and that I need more confidence. Yes I still have anxiety as it is part of my psychology but that's another story. You can always feel free to write on my wall or post here and I will be glad to chat. Cheer up and give yourself credit.(*hug*)
You sound a lot like my sister. We have to calm her down pretty much every time she has a test to take. Just remember that a bad grade isn't the end of the world, nor is one bad test something you can't recover from. You definitely know that you've got the ability to handle the tests, so the only thing I can really say is get in there and show 'em what you've got. That being said, if it ever gets to the point of you actually having a panic attack, I'd recommend at least talking to a counselor about it. Panic attacks are awful, and I can't imagine they'd make testing very easy. But even if it isn't that bad, you might want to see your school's counselor anyway. They'll have a lot more experience with this subject in particular than me, so they can probably give you more specific tips on dealing with test anxiety.
