Dealing with anxiety from midterms

[radium]

I am a female rising sophomore majoring in Physics and probably math as well. I attend an Ivy League university and hope to eventually become a physics professor in condensed matter theory. While I love my major and thoroughly enjoy doing my math and physics homework (and usually get good grades on problem sets which were pretty time consuming since I took honors mechanics and e&m), I get very anxious about midterms. I feel this really affects my performance and overall happiness.

The problem for me during exams is that it feels like my mind has slowed down and I end up feeling very suspicious of my own work. This seems to lead to making very stupid mistakes when my first intuition was correct. I tend to overlook things that I should know and take for granted and this leads to trouble keeping pace and produces an overall anxiety with everything related to midterms. I panic even when things are not that hard. When I was in high school I was incredibly anxious taking the Physics C AP exam even though I knew I should be confident.
It's very frustrating because I always feel like I really do grasp the concepts, I can explain them to others no problem and am able figure out most of the homework by myself (a few of us in my course would meet and discuss the problem sets after we had all progressed through most of it and I could readily contribute to these discussions). But I feel that because I am under timed pressure I choke. It's not like I do terribly, but I do not do as well as I feel I should. So in a course I may get a B instead of the A I had hoped for.

While it's gotten to the point that I can sometimes do well (I did very well on one of my math finals which I felt was a good sign of my abilities), I'm still not consistent. I know that I need to do a lot more problems than usual to become comfortable to the point I can take a midterm (my professors seem to deemphasize this and say that it's more about studying concepts, but that's not my issue), but has anyone else experienced this or have any strategies on how to calm oneself before an exam. I know this is something I will always have to deal with and that there are no shortcuts. I just want to have confidence that I can get through this.

 

[R.Mesri]

I'm glad to hear that you have been able to do well on some of your exams, and that you have a good understanding of the concepts. It sounds like your main issue is the anxiety you feel when taking midterms, which can be difficult to manage. One strategy I would suggest is to practice mindfulness and meditation techniques before an exam. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that focuses on being present in the moment and calming the mind. This can help you to become more focused and relaxed before an exam, allowing you to think more clearly and make fewer mistakes. You may also want to try deep breathing exercises, as these can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Another strategy is to create a study plan ahead of time. This will help ensure that you are studying the right material and that you have enough time to cover everything. You could also use this plan to help you stay organized during the exam, so you don't get overwhelmed and start to panic. Finally, it is important to remember that everyone experiences anxiety differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It might be helpful to talk to a professional, such as a therapist or counselor, who can help you develop strategies to manage your anxiety and build your confidence. Good luck!