Case Study: Test Anxiety
Case:
Katya is a bright, enthusiastic freshman in college. She has an overall 3.0 grade point average. As a student she exhibits an assiduous and thorough work ethic and is always prepared for class. Even with her diligent study behavior, she experiences severe test anxiety. Her fear is that her hard work will not prepare her for tests. Katya is near the end of her semester and is preparing for a chemistry exam. Accordingly the class syllabus, the test will weigh heavily on her grade. If she does not do well she will lose her scholarship. This has added further stress and has elevated her anxiety. She is now experiencing panic attacks.
Introduction:
Katya demonstrates what the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (“ADAA”) identifies as “test anxiety.” (http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety.) Further the ADAA defines text anxiety as a type of performance anxiety causing the student physical and emotional distress either before or during a test. The anxiety can be so overwhelming that a student may freeze or draw a blank during a test. The main causes of test anxiety are 1) fear of failure; 2) lack of preparation; and 3) poor test history. In Katya’s case, her fear of failure has caused her anxiety. Fortunately there are multiple ways to manage this type of anxiety. Below is an outline of Katya’s options to manage her anxiety and my personal opinions concerning coping mechanism with anxiety.
Managing Stress:
Long Term Recommendations
Katya’s test anxiety stems from a fear that her studying and preparation will not be enough for her to do well on her exam. In order for Katya to overcome her anxiety she will first need to find the strength to believe in her ability to complete tasks and reach goals. This is called self-efficacy. (Donatelle, R. (2011). Health: The Basics. In Health: The Basics. Pearson.) How to achieve self-efficacy has been studied by psychologists. According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy begins developing in early childhood as one begins to deal with and experience life. He further states that the foundation of self-efficacy continues to develop throughout life as new skills are acquired. (Cherry, K., 2015.) Achieving self-efficacy is an aspect of Katya’s life she needs to develop. Self-efficacy is an on-going and long term goal because it requires time and nurturing.
There are non-abrasive treatments Katya can use to relieve her test anxiety. The Consumer Reports on Health article entitled Anxiety Relief without Drugs, lists the the following short list of anxiety relief:
Short Term Recommendations
Katya needs to consider what she can do and how she can gain control over her fear in order to study and take her chemistry exam. The article Overcoming Anxiety: 5 Quick Ways to Relieve Anxiety suggests the following for immediate anxiety relief:
Opinion:
For this discussion, the student was asked whether or not they would seek professional help if you found yourself in Katya’s situation. From a personal point-of-view, I would seek professional help if it was a viable option. Although I am able to research solutions through the library or on-line, it can be very helpful to have a skilled professional to offer coping skills. There may be aspects of what I am experiencing that I do not see because I am too close to the situation. Having a neutral third party to give an honest opinion so that I can deal with the underlying issues and not just cope with the anxiety will lead to a longer, healthy mental life.
From a health perspective, exercise is a key factor in reducing anxiety. Setting out goals to exercise 3-4 times a week, going on a hike or any other type of physical activity will give you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction which will increase one’s self-esteem.
Finally, it is important to know and understand what you can personally handle. It is not easy to be a student, especially if you are working and have other obligations. Before you register for classes, be realistic, map out your schedule and write down your expectations. It’s always good to challenge yourself but know your limits.
Conclusion:
Everyone may experience some type of anxiety at various times in one’s life. There is no way to avoid it but how we deal with it and continue to adjust to life can make all of the difference in one’s mental health. The road to achieving a continued healthy mental life begins with eating a healthy well balanced diet to keep your body functioning at its best, staying environmentally aware and healthy which will limit the bacteria that you are exposed to, maintain healthy, respectful relationships with friends and family. Mental health is about your entire body how you take care of yourself on the inside and out.
References:
Reflection:
What I've learned is that stress is how one's body reacts to changes requiring some sort of adjustment or response. A body's reaction can be physical, mental, and emotional. Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you -- and many things you do to yourself -- put stress on your body. You can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts.
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. There is a positive side of stress, it can make us alert and ready to avoid danger. However, when a person faces continuous stress without periods of relief or relaxation in between each episode, it becomes negative. When the stress continues, without any relief, it can result in physical symptoms such as headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain, insomnia.
What I already knew is that stress is a normal part of life. Everyone, from the time we are young, experience some sort of stress. How we manage the stress is the key to how much the stress will interfere with your life. For example, there comes a time when we either start school or drop our child off for the first day of school. I know from personal experience, as a parent I was full of hope, dreams but dreaded the moment I had to say good-bye to my son. He was so nervous and I could see that he was holding back tears. I wanted to run, pick him up and and take him home. He was so brave and he turned to me and said, it's okay mom, I'll be alright. Well, this is how it went on the first day of school for the next 6 years, but by the second day, he was running out of the car to meet his friends. We still laugh about those days and remember them fondly.
In another instance, when my son was in the fourth grade, he received a letter inviting him to attend the DARE overnight camp. My son was not the type to spend the night away from his family. So the simple question, "are you interested? Would you like to attend the information meeting?" immediately set him off into tears. I was nearly panicked but my husband, being the cool one in the family, explained to him that everyone experiences nervousness and that it's ok to feel that way. But it's important that we do not let the feeling stop us from experiencing life. He explained that new experiences are just a part of life and that he, himself would be starting a new position at work soon and that made him nervous. He would have to learn new procedures, meet new people but it was what he really wanted. In the end, my son understood, agreed to attend the information meeting. He saw several boys he knew from soccer at the meeting, decided that it was something he wanted to experienced and he went and had the time of his life. He hasn't stopped trying new experiences and expanding his circles. It was a positive way to look at stress.
Katya is a bright, enthusiastic freshman in college. She has an overall 3.0 grade point average. As a student she exhibits an assiduous and thorough work ethic and is always prepared for class. Even with her diligent study behavior, she experiences severe test anxiety. Her fear is that her hard work will not prepare her for tests. Katya is near the end of her semester and is preparing for a chemistry exam. Accordingly the class syllabus, the test will weigh heavily on her grade. If she does not do well she will lose her scholarship. This has added further stress and has elevated her anxiety. She is now experiencing panic attacks.
Introduction:
Katya demonstrates what the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (“ADAA”) identifies as “test anxiety.” (http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety.) Further the ADAA defines text anxiety as a type of performance anxiety causing the student physical and emotional distress either before or during a test. The anxiety can be so overwhelming that a student may freeze or draw a blank during a test. The main causes of test anxiety are 1) fear of failure; 2) lack of preparation; and 3) poor test history. In Katya’s case, her fear of failure has caused her anxiety. Fortunately there are multiple ways to manage this type of anxiety. Below is an outline of Katya’s options to manage her anxiety and my personal opinions concerning coping mechanism with anxiety.
Managing Stress:
Long Term Recommendations
Katya’s test anxiety stems from a fear that her studying and preparation will not be enough for her to do well on her exam. In order for Katya to overcome her anxiety she will first need to find the strength to believe in her ability to complete tasks and reach goals. This is called self-efficacy. (Donatelle, R. (2011). Health: The Basics. In Health: The Basics. Pearson.) How to achieve self-efficacy has been studied by psychologists. According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy begins developing in early childhood as one begins to deal with and experience life. He further states that the foundation of self-efficacy continues to develop throughout life as new skills are acquired. (Cherry, K., 2015.) Achieving self-efficacy is an aspect of Katya’s life she needs to develop. Self-efficacy is an on-going and long term goal because it requires time and nurturing.
There are non-abrasive treatments Katya can use to relieve her test anxiety. The Consumer Reports on Health article entitled Anxiety Relief without Drugs, lists the the following short list of anxiety relief:
- Stimulants such as caffeine, diet pills or decongestants can cause added nervousness which leads to anxiety or worsen the anxiety.
- It’s important to find ways to be physically active. Exercise acts as a natural stress relief and can assist in creating self-confidence.
- Do not avoid or delay the event at the center of the anxiety. In Katya’s situation, avoiding the exam would lead to failure and loss of her financial aid therefore avoidance is not an option. Avoidance can only lead to further failures and deeper anxiety and ultimately depression. It’s important to stick with it, look the event dead center and move forward.
- Because worrying is a part of life, give it some time. Allow yourself the time to think the anxiety through and make decisions on how to handle it and then move on.
Short Term Recommendations
Katya needs to consider what she can do and how she can gain control over her fear in order to study and take her chemistry exam. The article Overcoming Anxiety: 5 Quick Ways to Relieve Anxiety suggests the following for immediate anxiety relief:
- First, make yourself comfortable while the feeling passes.
- Remind yourself that the feeling is temporary and continue to focus on making yourself comfortable physically and emotionally.
- Once you find some comfort, try stretching your muscles, and loosen any tight clothing. This will help to increase your comfort level.
- Use positive and calm self-talk. The article suggest that you repeat phrases such as, “This feeling will pass;” “I will get through this,” “I am safe right now;” “I am feeling anxious now, but soon I will be calm;” or “I can feel my heart rate gradually slowing down.”
- Do not fight the anxiety, acknowledge and accept it.
- Try distracting yourself and focus on something other than what caused the anxiety.
- Try relaxation techniques such as meditation or taking deep breathes in and release them as you count to ten, sit and listen to soft music until you feel your heart slow down.
Opinion:
For this discussion, the student was asked whether or not they would seek professional help if you found yourself in Katya’s situation. From a personal point-of-view, I would seek professional help if it was a viable option. Although I am able to research solutions through the library or on-line, it can be very helpful to have a skilled professional to offer coping skills. There may be aspects of what I am experiencing that I do not see because I am too close to the situation. Having a neutral third party to give an honest opinion so that I can deal with the underlying issues and not just cope with the anxiety will lead to a longer, healthy mental life.
From a health perspective, exercise is a key factor in reducing anxiety. Setting out goals to exercise 3-4 times a week, going on a hike or any other type of physical activity will give you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction which will increase one’s self-esteem.
Finally, it is important to know and understand what you can personally handle. It is not easy to be a student, especially if you are working and have other obligations. Before you register for classes, be realistic, map out your schedule and write down your expectations. It’s always good to challenge yourself but know your limits.
Conclusion:
Everyone may experience some type of anxiety at various times in one’s life. There is no way to avoid it but how we deal with it and continue to adjust to life can make all of the difference in one’s mental health. The road to achieving a continued healthy mental life begins with eating a healthy well balanced diet to keep your body functioning at its best, staying environmentally aware and healthy which will limit the bacteria that you are exposed to, maintain healthy, respectful relationships with friends and family. Mental health is about your entire body how you take care of yourself on the inside and out.
References:
- Cherry, K. (2015) What Is Test Anxiety?
Retrieved from abouteducation.com
http://psychology.about.com/od/mentalhealth/a/test-anxiety.htm
- Donatelle, R. (2011). Health: The Basics. In Health:
The Basics. Pearson
- Anxiety
Relief Without Drugs, Consumer Reports on Health. Dec. 94,
Vol. 6 Issue 12, p142. 1/3p. (http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f6dede9a-bc53-4f49-865b-1c64b857eaee%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4107)
- Overcoming Anxiety: 5 Quick Ways to Relieve Anxiety, 2008-2014 retrieved from http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/overcoming-anxiety.html
Reflection:
What I've learned is that stress is how one's body reacts to changes requiring some sort of adjustment or response. A body's reaction can be physical, mental, and emotional. Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you -- and many things you do to yourself -- put stress on your body. You can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts.
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. There is a positive side of stress, it can make us alert and ready to avoid danger. However, when a person faces continuous stress without periods of relief or relaxation in between each episode, it becomes negative. When the stress continues, without any relief, it can result in physical symptoms such as headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain, insomnia.
What I already knew is that stress is a normal part of life. Everyone, from the time we are young, experience some sort of stress. How we manage the stress is the key to how much the stress will interfere with your life. For example, there comes a time when we either start school or drop our child off for the first day of school. I know from personal experience, as a parent I was full of hope, dreams but dreaded the moment I had to say good-bye to my son. He was so nervous and I could see that he was holding back tears. I wanted to run, pick him up and and take him home. He was so brave and he turned to me and said, it's okay mom, I'll be alright. Well, this is how it went on the first day of school for the next 6 years, but by the second day, he was running out of the car to meet his friends. We still laugh about those days and remember them fondly.
In another instance, when my son was in the fourth grade, he received a letter inviting him to attend the DARE overnight camp. My son was not the type to spend the night away from his family. So the simple question, "are you interested? Would you like to attend the information meeting?" immediately set him off into tears. I was nearly panicked but my husband, being the cool one in the family, explained to him that everyone experiences nervousness and that it's ok to feel that way. But it's important that we do not let the feeling stop us from experiencing life. He explained that new experiences are just a part of life and that he, himself would be starting a new position at work soon and that made him nervous. He would have to learn new procedures, meet new people but it was what he really wanted. In the end, my son understood, agreed to attend the information meeting. He saw several boys he knew from soccer at the meeting, decided that it was something he wanted to experienced and he went and had the time of his life. He hasn't stopped trying new experiences and expanding his circles. It was a positive way to look at stress.