Mental Relaxation before a test.

by Dan
(North Carolina)

Getting ready for a test is strenuous. Luckily, I know a few tricks to help take the edge off.

For Studying, you will want to go to a nice quiet place to study. Remember also to take all your study materials with you. Nothing breaks concentration than having to get up and go get a pencil or a ruler or whatever you may need to study with. Also, it is a good idea to keep a good climate whenever possible. Distractions like cold and hot air can also interfere with your concentration, making studying much harder than it should be. Also, I generally like to take care of my other responsibilities before studying, whether it is a house chore or anything that will require my attention. Doing this will also free your mind up so you can focus more on your studying.

When I study, if I am able to, I will use a colored highlighter to highlight different information. For example, if I need to remember an important date or number, I will use a pink highlighter to highlight the number. If I have to remember an important name I will use another color like green to highlight it.

Also, while it is not acceptable to cheat on tests, you can use certain environmental factors to your advantage. For instance, if you happen to be taking a test on George Washington, then maybe you know someone with George or Washington in their name. Using associations like that can help as reminders when doing tests. Also, before you take a test, I generally like to relax by listening to music. Music can help make your brain relax and work better in my experience, and there are people that I know who also listen to music to concentrate on tasks. You may not be able to listen to music during your test, but before you take it you should try to listen to something to help clear your mind. Other things that you can do to help out are taking care of yourself. Doing things like bathing, grooming, and eating can help make you more relaxed and focused. Distractions like hunger or smelling yourself may divert your attention away from your exam and make you more nervous and wary than you need to be. It's simple things that can make all the difference sometimes. It is very important to study as much as possible but also you should not be stressed out, as this can make or break your studying as well as your testing.