ElaineKang

ProfessorSilva
Health13
May3,2015
Project3:CaseStudyAnalysisFinalSubmission

Katyaisdealingwiththepressuresthatmoststudentsthesedayscarry.Shetrieshardto
maintainhergradepointaverageaswellasineffortsnottoloseherscholarship.Shehasagrade
pointaveragethatwouldnotbeconsideredbad,a3.0.Sheispressuredtodowellonher
chemistryexaminordertomakesurethatshedoesnotloseherscholarship,andbecauseofthe
pressureshehadapanicattackwhileshewastryingtostudy.Thetestdateisacoupleofdays
away,andKatyastilldealswiththepressureofhavingtostudythinkingthatasmuchasshe
tries,shewillneverbegoodenough.
IamgreatlyabletorelatetothepositionthatKatyaiscurrentlyin.Therewasapoint
whereIthoughtthatnothing,nogradepointaveragewouldbegoodenoughtohavemestop
trying.TherewerenightswhenIwouldstudyandnotgetanysleep,causingmetohaveanxiety
attackswhenIsawtheworkloadthatIhadtodo.Itseemedliketheworkloadwasnevergoingto
endand,likeKatyaIdidnotthinkmyfurtheractionswouldmakeadifference.Iwastootiredto
engrainanythingelseintomymind,andfailureontheassignmentsthatwereduebecamemore
ofarealitytome.Inthese,situations,Itoofinditdifficulttoresortinfindinghelp,ortryingto
makethesituationbetter,becauseIknowthattheproblemisnotgoingtodisappear.

Iwishthatinthesesituations,peoplewouldhavetoldmethemethodsincuringtest
anxiety.Weliveinatestconscious,testgivingcultureinwhichthelivesofpeopleareinpart
determinedbytheirtestperformance(Putwain).Apersonsselfworthisbeingdeterminedby
howwelltheydoontheirtests,andforKatyasheshouldrealizethatherworthisnotina
number,orthelettergradethatshegets.MuchlikehowIwas,Iwouldnothavethoughtabout
seekingforprofessionalhelp,becauseIwouldthinkthatitwasanissuecreatedbymyself
overthinkingthings.However,KatyaandIshouldbothrealizewhyitisimportanttotryand
alleviateourtestanxiety.AccordingtoThePraxisSeries,inordertoreducetestanxietygood
healthisimportantaswellashavingpositivethoughts.Also,beingorganizedbycreatingastudy
schedulecanmakesureyouarecompletingyourworkwithinareasonableamountoftime.
(EducationalTestingService)
Inordertoformrealisticexpectations,apersonshouldrealizethechancesoffailure,
becausethatwaytheywouldnotbeterrifiedofit,tothepointofcreatingsuchanxiety.People
shouldhaveoptimisticthoughts,bythinkingthatthetestisjustatestandnothingelse.These
optimisticthoughtscanbeformedbyjustomittinganynegativethoughtsthattauntyou.Ifthere
arenegativethoughtsthatbegintodiscourageyou,youshouldtaketheinitiativetorealizeallthe
goodthingsgoingoninyourlifeotherthanthetestthatyouwillbetakingthenextday.Students
haveadifficultyinseeingthebiggerpictureofeducation.Itisnottoruinorstressyou,but
rathertoenrichenyourmind.Theonlywaythisispossibleisforyoutohaveagoodhealth,a
happymind,andanoptimisticperspective.Thisisthebestwaytocuretextanxietyandany
stressthatwouldcomealongwithit.

WorksCited
EducationalTestingService(2005)ThePraxisSeries.
ReducingTestAnxiety
(5)
Putwain,D.(2008).Examinationstressandtestanxiety.
Psychologist
,
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(12),10261029.