Stressed for Calc 3 & Econ Tests? Tips for Exam Day Anxiety

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around managing exam day anxiety, specifically for calculus and economics tests. Participants share personal experiences and strategies for coping with stress and improving focus during exams.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses fear of forgetting material despite feeling prepared, highlighting anxiety related to the lack of a formula sheet.
  • Another suggests practicing problems that induce fear and finding past exams to build confidence.
  • Some participants recommend relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing to manage stress during exams.
  • A participant shares a personal strategy of running cold water over their hands before an exam to help relax.
  • There are suggestions to avoid sitting next to individuals who might distract or copy answers during the exam.
  • One participant notes the importance of sleep for effective studying and suggests reviewing PowerPoint slides and homework for economics.
  • Another participant shares their experience of falling asleep while studying and discusses the need for adequate rest to improve focus.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share various strategies for managing exam anxiety, but there is no consensus on which methods are most effective. Different approaches to studying and relaxation are discussed without agreement on a single best practice.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about their study methods and the effectiveness of relaxation techniques, indicating that individual experiences may vary significantly.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for exams, particularly in calculus and economics, may find the shared experiences and strategies relevant to their own situations.

ineedhelpnow
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i have a calc 3 test on monday and i don't know why but I AM TERRIFIED. probably because i have an exam for econ the same day. any exam or pre-exam tips? how not to be afraid?
 
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Try to do all the problems that terrify you, and if you don't get them, post them here :D Maybe try to find some past exams and do them
Econ is not important, study for calculus (Giggle)
 
its not the problems that terrify. its the knowing i have a test on them part. i feel like I am good with the material but have this feeling I am going to forget it all by the test no matter how many times i study. he doesn't give a formula sheet so we have to know everything and I am really bad at this one lesson and wow i just typed this whole thing without breathing once. I am already so nervous.

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im more confident about calc than econ though...
 
Learn to relax through meditation or yoga.
Also, in between each answer to exam questions take a few deep and relaxing breaths. These micropauses pay off in the end because the stress is released during these micropauses for relaxing deep breaths. Train this a few times at home and you'll see the benefits.

Good luck!
 
ineedhelpnow said:
its not the problems that terrify. its the knowing i have a test on them part. i feel like I am good with the material but have this feeling I am going to forget it all by the test no matter how many times i study. he doesn't give a formula sheet so we have to know everything and I am really bad at this one lesson and wow i just typed this whole thing without breathing once. I am already so nervous.

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im more confident about calc than econ though...

Just practice the problems. I am not sure what you mean by study. Does that mean reading the problems or answers or recreating solutions from the actually problem. If you are just reading them, it won't sink in as much if you start with the problem and obtain the answer by hand.
 
thanks Modus! i don't think yogas my thing but ill definitely try the taking breaths part :o

@dwsmith i mean like working on the problems and becoming familiar with them and the material.
 
This might sound stupid, but just before the exam go to a washroom and run cold water over your hands for a bit. A small bottle of orange juice helps too.

I don't know why these help you relax but it works great for me!

-Dan
 
ineedhelpnow said:
thanks Modus! i don't think yogas my thing but ill definitely try the taking breaths part :o

Sure. What I'm trying to say is that if you have problems with stress in exams (as I did a lot), you have to learn how to manage it. The emotional state you're in, during the exam, can make the difference between passing and failing. Or even between having an A or having a C+.

The best way to do this is to simulate exams at home and use different strategies for stress relief that you can also use when taking the test/exam.

Deep breaths work for me. Realizing that I already have the right answer helps me not to accumulate stress when I'm just pouring things from my mind to the paper. Meditating before the exam, but when I am still relaxed enough to do it properly, also works very well.

Some of these may not be the best for you. Try discovering other things that work for you. :)
 
Thanks for the advice modus!
Dan, I will definitely try the orange juice thing. It might help...or coffee instead hehehehe
 
  • #10
ok guys i got something else

-never sit next to a person who always tries to copy your answers otherwise youll be too occupied covering your exam than focusing on it.
 
  • #11
ineedhelpnow said:
ok guys i got something else

-never sit next to a person who always tries to copy your answers otherwise youll be too occupied covering your exam than focusing on it.
Work out all the problems, but write down wrong answers. Then let the other guy/girl copy to his/her heart's content and leave early. After he/she is gone then fill in the right answers.

Yes, I'm evil.

-Dan
 
  • #12
lol once in my trig class this guy next to me was copying my test and he made it like sooo obvious. he kept looking over but i was blocking my paper. so he couldn't see the steps or the answers probably. when we got our test back i took a look at his and he got marked down points for skipping steps and because he got the + and - signs wrong. i was like yeah because you couldn't see my test properly :p
 
  • #13
math test down. econ test tomorrow. what would you guys recommend for someone who falls asleep every time she tries to study for econ? (Blush)
 
  • #14
ineedhelpnow said:
math test down. econ test tomorrow. what would you guys recommend for someone who falls asleep every time she tries to study for econ? (Blush)
Sleep. You'll do better by getting rest than you will by trying to stay up all night and doing the test half asleep.

-Dan
 
  • #15
lol not just at night though. yesterday and earlier today i was studying for econ (in the afternoon) and i just couldn't hold myself and i fell straight to sleep.

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i think i will just...go through the powerpoint slides and homework (Nod) yep that's what ima do
 
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  • #16
ineedhelpnow said:
lol not just at night though. yesterday and earlier today i was studying for econ (in the afternoon) and i just couldn't hold myself and i fell straight to sleep.

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i think i will just...go through the powerpoint slides and homework (Nod) yep that's what ima do

When I was learning how to meditate I asked a question on a forum about a similar problem. I kept falling asleep in the middle of the meditation. I asked her how I could stop doing that and she told me to get some good sleep until you could stay at it. The problem wasn't that I was doing something wrong, it's just that I was sleep deprived.

-Dan
 
  • #17
topsquark said:
When I was learning how to meditate I asked a question on a forum about a similar problem. I kept falling asleep in the middle of the meditation. I asked her how I could stop doing that and she told me to get some good sleep until you could stay at it. The problem wasn't that I was doing something wrong, it's just that I was sleep deprived.
is econ like mediation :confused: ? if it were like a calc test or something i would be totally into it and have no trouble but for this I am like (Yawn) (Yawn) (Yawn) (Yawn) (Yawn) u know
 

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