College tests are the worst. Sure that 20-page research paper was bad, but a few all-nighters, and some skillful procrastinating and it's done. Tests on the other hand, are a completely different obstacle. You can study for weeks, learning the entire history of Saudi Arabia, or memorizing the smallest inner workings of the brain. And after all that preparation, you can still go to that test and know nothing. Everyone is going to have that one test they bomb, don't worry, below is the fool proof way to make it through it:
1. Preparing: Don't wait until the last minute to study! The brain learns best absorbing information over a longer period of time. On the other hand, studying so far in advance you forget your information is just as bad as only studying the night before.
2 Sleep: Get lots of sleep! Studies have shown out brain stores data when we sleep, so all nighters might not be your best option. Five to six hours should probably be the minimal amount you get.
3. Refueling: Your brain and body don't work without food and nutrients. Eat food, preferably of the healthy variety. Unfortunately we can't survive on caffeine alone. On that note though, drink caffeine, before, after, and during your test, its a beautiful thing. Just because your going to bomb the test, it doesn't mean you have to be drowsy doing it.
4. Don't get to the test too early: There is nothing worse that getting to a test too early. You sit there stressing about the test and end up getting psyched out. You may try studying last minute, or just hyperventilate until the teacher hands you your test. Five minutes early is a good goal, it gives you time to settle in without the awkward in-between time.
5. Wear comfortable clothes: Looking nice is fine, but on test day there is no reason to be uncomfortable for the hour you will be stuck in that seat. Sweatpants and a sweatshirt are a time tested way to always be comfortable. But please shower and perform other general hygiene routines before you leave for your test. You don't want to make the person next to you gag. There is a fine line between comfortable and gross.
6. Don't go back and change your answers unless you are 100 percent sure: You were probably right the first time, and overthinking it is not going to make you do better. It's always good to skim your test again to avoid stupid mistakes, but don't go changing all your answers. Be confident in your answers even if your not confident.
Now the next five steps may sound familiar, they are commonly known as the stages of grief or loss:
7. Denial: You just bombed the test, and your probably in a state of shock. Hours of studying, and your grade is close to being single digits. It can't be right can it? You question the teachers intelligence, or maybe the scan-tron messed up. Chances are though, it's probably on you.
8. Anger: This stage usually ends with you telling everyone you know about how hard you studied, how unfair the test was, and the general unfairness of the world. I've heard people say some horrible thing about their teacher, the class, or the college itself. My advice is to try and calm down, and stop blaming the universe.
9. Bargaining: After all those horrible thing you've said about your teacher, you come crawling to them to try and save your grade. A chance to retake the test, maybe raise your test grade by a few points.You offer to do extra credit, or clean their house; you're at a point where you'll try just about anything. For anyone who doesn't know this already, teacher aren't supposed to make special exceptions for students, so chances are, they aren't going to make one for you.
10. Depression: Your life is over, you'll never get accepted into graduate school, you're going to fail out of college, your parents will disown you, and you'll live the rest of your life in a cardboard box. It's probably not as bad as you think. Take some deep breaths, talk to your teacher on advice on studying in the future. A lot of colleges even have tutors for classes. Try and figure out how to improve your studying skills and keep moving forward.
11. Acceptance: By far the most important stage. Yes, you failed. But it's one test, there will be other chances to fix your grades. And if you've failed multiple tests in this class, maybe that field isn't for you. There are so many opportunities to find a career that you enjoy, and one that you are good at. Study hard, learn from your mistakes, and remember that one test does not mean the world is going to end.
