The Zen of test taking
October 16, 2015 2:01 PM Subscribe
I test terribly. I think I know why, but that's not the point of this question: instead of strategies for me to do better during a test, I'm looking for ways to prevent the aftermath of a badly-taken test from ruining the rest of my day/week.
To be clear, I'm not talking about tests where I walk in unprepared and face the consequences -- this is more about the cases where I know the material, but something (related to distraction / panic over time limits, usually) leads to me making basic errors/assumptions that mess things up in ways that aren't immediately obvious. I have a very good memory for written material, and as I walk out of the classroom I can't help but keep thinking about the test questions and, like picking at a scab, I gradually realize the extent to which I messed things up. Generally, my mood throughout the day goes from "gee, that wasn't too bad!" to "hmm, that's a bit of a bummer," to "what the hell, self, you clearly know all of this stuff!"
I've gone through this process enough times to realize that, in the long run, things work out just fine -- or at least, my mediocre test-taking skills are balanced out by my very good coursework in practically every other area -- and that exams are a pretty crappy metric of how well I know the material, anyway. I chat with my instructors regularly and they know that I have a good grasp on the material, so I think part of it is that I hate to think of them having to going through my crappy test paper, which, I've been on the other side of that and all I ever do is shrug and chalk it up to a bad day, no big deal.
Are there any good ways to get myself to stop picking at the scab, so to speak, and let me continue living my life (which, among other things, includes studying for the next tests coming up)? Or do I just need to accept the "grrrmmphh" and let it flow through me?
(Why yes, this did just happen to me again this morning. I realized it literally as I was walking out the door, and the invigilator let me go back and cross out the most egregious error and put a big sad face next to it.Since I have the rest of the day off, my method of dealing with it has been to pour myself a stiff drink and type up this AskMe. I think it's working.)
To be clear, I'm not talking about tests where I walk in unprepared and face the consequences -- this is more about the cases where I know the material, but something (related to distraction / panic over time limits, usually) leads to me making basic errors/assumptions that mess things up in ways that aren't immediately obvious. I have a very good memory for written material, and as I walk out of the classroom I can't help but keep thinking about the test questions and, like picking at a scab, I gradually realize the extent to which I messed things up. Generally, my mood throughout the day goes from "gee, that wasn't too bad!" to "hmm, that's a bit of a bummer," to "what the hell, self, you clearly know all of this stuff!"
I've gone through this process enough times to realize that, in the long run, things work out just fine -- or at least, my mediocre test-taking skills are balanced out by my very good coursework in practically every other area -- and that exams are a pretty crappy metric of how well I know the material, anyway. I chat with my instructors regularly and they know that I have a good grasp on the material, so I think part of it is that I hate to think of them having to going through my crappy test paper, which, I've been on the other side of that and all I ever do is shrug and chalk it up to a bad day, no big deal.
Are there any good ways to get myself to stop picking at the scab, so to speak, and let me continue living my life (which, among other things, includes studying for the next tests coming up)? Or do I just need to accept the "grrrmmphh" and let it flow through me?
(Why yes, this did just happen to me again this morning. I realized it literally as I was walking out the door, and the invigilator let me go back and cross out the most egregious error and put a big sad face next to it.Since I have the rest of the day off, my method of dealing with it has been to pour myself a stiff drink and type up this AskMe. I think it's working.)
One of the best things you can teach yourself (or teach your dog) is to Drop It! Let it go. Worrying about it won't change it. After a short period of reflection about how you can do better the next time, you just have to STOP letting yourself think about it any more. Indulge in the exercise of your choice, or watch a movie, or call a friend, or stare at the trees and sky. Do anything except worry.
Years ago I developed a mantra: Don't frown, don't fidget, don't worry. This practice has left me with an unwrinkled face, a calm mind, and friends who don't have to endure my fidgits.And don't scold yourself when you catch yourself doing these things. Just stop and do or think something else.
And yes, do come and seek advice and hugs from your pal on AskMe.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 3:01 PM on October 16, 2015
Years ago I developed a mantra: Don't frown, don't fidget, don't worry. This practice has left me with an unwrinkled face, a calm mind, and friends who don't have to endure my fidgits.And don't scold yourself when you catch yourself doing these things. Just stop and do or think something else.
And yes, do come and seek advice and hugs from your pal on AskMe.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 3:01 PM on October 16, 2015
You have to create an inner, portable, place of power and comfort zone, to be in, while you take tests. This has something to do with allowing yourself to test well. I am really good at taking tests, it has to do with somehow leaning back into my mid brain and letting information flow from every reservoir of it. A physically relaxed state allows for even body memory to release its secrets. Physical relaxation helps turn off the fight or flight mechanism, for creative use of your personal inner library. There is a certain bravado in complete relaxation at test time, and being totally available to yourself, and your agreed upon need to regurgitate fact and a convincing show of understanding. You can do this.
posted by Oyéah at 11:51 PM on October 16, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 11:51 PM on October 16, 2015
Having taken many, many tests, some short and some very, very, long, and having had similar post-test malaise and funk, I can empathize.
The anxieties of not passing or doing well, the incessant self-questioning of whether or not you selected the right answer, the reflection and recall of previous crummy post-test feelings not only perpetuating but also reinforcing such crumminess, and, perhaps, the come-down from the work and energy one puts into preparing for the test and during test itself. It's balls. Totally balls.
It's very easy to say "don't sweat it-- just drop it like a two-ton heavy thing," and this is very good advice. Unless you've developed the ability to do this (and this is certainly not easy to do), it's going to continue to drive you bananas. I know. I've been there.
Trying to find quiet and an inner peace is very difficult, too. With the calm comes much time during which you will undoubtedly be spending fretting. And it's difficult to shift focus and distract yourself, as the former usually only serves to fill the mind with rapid alternating and conflicting tracks of thoughts (eg: trying to suppress libidinous thoughts by thinking of, ah, someone you do not have such thoughts for, and then conflating the two into one very odd line of thought without excising either. Now you find yourself following one bizarre and unpleasant line of thinking). And distracting yourself doesn't last and you end up thinking about the test afterward anyway.
Here are practices I'd adopted for some of the bigger exams I've had to take. Just think: EMPIRE.
E - Eat and Exercise. This is really, really important no matter how much you think it has nothing to do with test-taking. Eating well and exercising will make your body and mind stronger, and will help with things before and after the test. The physical activity you perform does not have to be painful or strenuous. You may already be super athletic and eat well, but may need to tweak your habits a bit. By pursuing it as a habit, with regularity, and around the same time of day, you'll also help yourself by taking forced breaks from studying and schedulize your day and night. You'll sleep better.
M - Music. This, I've found, has really had a profound effect on pre- and post-test emotions. Pick one song you really like that really pumps you up, and pick some songs that you really like that really calm you down or takes you to another place. For me, with my more recent tests from years ago, I listened to DragonForce's Though the Fire and the Flames. I couldn't get enough of it. I loved the video. I never got sick of it, and this was key. When I was trying to ramp up for a session of studying while feeling kinda balls, I'd watch the music video. At night, or when I was not studying and just slacking off, I'd listen to a playlist of slower songs. When I take my recertification boards, I'll probably have a playlist filled with songs from at least Sparklehorse, Band of Horses, Real Estate, The Books, and Explosions in the Sky.
P - Preparation and Protocol. Here I'm talking about things to do in the peri-test period of time: what to do on the day of, during, and after the exam. Prepare a routine and make it a procedure. Do not make it long or complicated. For me, I prepare snacks in a bag, like trail mix. Something that gives you a bit of immediate sugar and carbs. Something a nominally filling. Have some just before you take the test. If you are able to take a break, have some during the break. My licensing and board exams were all-day affairs, and I was able to take breaks to walk out of the testing room. If it's a shorter exam, this might not be necessary, though I'd still encourage it. Ask your professor or proctor if this is allowable. Snack immediately after the test. Just cram your gullet with snacks: you've been thinking hard, sitting on your ass for a while, and getting hungry might make you feel crummy. In the hours before the exam, I take ibuprofen as a habit, cause, you know, what if you get a headache during the test? I do not know if there's any evidence that taking ibuprofen prophylactically for headaches really works, but I do it anyway. It's a procedure. It's on a checklist. It's a reminder that I've prepared for the test and the time that follows.
I - Insight without incitement. In the longer stretches of time between exams, when you've gotten over the period of funk from the last one, reflect upon your past experiences without beating yourself up over it, like you're doing with the AskMe question. Think about what changes you've made to your approach to preparing for and working with the post-test malaise you've had in the past. What positive changes have you made? Have you found your perfect pump-up song that you won't get sick of? Did you find a snack that's healthy and tasty? How are the changes to your eating and exercising habits affected you? Do you feel like you haven't made "enough" or the "right" changes? It's ok. You've got time. Relax. You've gone through negative experiences before, and you're mindful of wanting to change it. Hell, you've already taken a good, first step in simply posting here!
R - Recollection. Recall this very question you've asked. You'll undoubtedly will have received a lot of helpful advice and tips from other people. You've done a lot of work mentally and physically and have a routine and procedures in place. There is regularity. There is consistency. There is a plan. Try to remember this, and that you've a tremendous amount of work, perhaps everything you could do, to not repeat the same post-test funk you've dealt with.
E - Exam and Empire. This is it! You've tried your best to prepare for the exam and what follows. Take pride in this. Follow procedure and protocol: pop some ibuprofen (or acetaminophen, or whatever over-the-counter medicine you take for headaches). Listen to your pump-up song just before you enter the testing room. GET. FUCKING. PUMPED. UP! This song ROCKS! You're gonna rock the test and feel great afterward! After all, to paraphrase Queensryche metaphorically, you've built an empire!
Can't you feel it coming? EMPIRE!*
Can't you hear it coming? EMPIRE!
Can't someone here stop [you]? NO!
YOU'VE GOT THIS!
And after all is said and done, and you feel negative thoughts creeping in, tell yourself: "I've done my best. I'm pretty awesome in a lot of things and in general. I've done my best, and maybe my best ain't good enough, but I've done my best and that's pretty goddamn awesome!"
*Yes, I realize the song has nothing to do with exams. Neither does Through the Fire and the Flames, but hell, it's pumped me up for some tough exams!
posted by herrdoktor at 1:14 PM on October 17, 2015
The anxieties of not passing or doing well, the incessant self-questioning of whether or not you selected the right answer, the reflection and recall of previous crummy post-test feelings not only perpetuating but also reinforcing such crumminess, and, perhaps, the come-down from the work and energy one puts into preparing for the test and during test itself. It's balls. Totally balls.
It's very easy to say "don't sweat it-- just drop it like a two-ton heavy thing," and this is very good advice. Unless you've developed the ability to do this (and this is certainly not easy to do), it's going to continue to drive you bananas. I know. I've been there.
Trying to find quiet and an inner peace is very difficult, too. With the calm comes much time during which you will undoubtedly be spending fretting. And it's difficult to shift focus and distract yourself, as the former usually only serves to fill the mind with rapid alternating and conflicting tracks of thoughts (eg: trying to suppress libidinous thoughts by thinking of, ah, someone you do not have such thoughts for, and then conflating the two into one very odd line of thought without excising either. Now you find yourself following one bizarre and unpleasant line of thinking). And distracting yourself doesn't last and you end up thinking about the test afterward anyway.
Here are practices I'd adopted for some of the bigger exams I've had to take. Just think: EMPIRE.
E - Eat and Exercise. This is really, really important no matter how much you think it has nothing to do with test-taking. Eating well and exercising will make your body and mind stronger, and will help with things before and after the test. The physical activity you perform does not have to be painful or strenuous. You may already be super athletic and eat well, but may need to tweak your habits a bit. By pursuing it as a habit, with regularity, and around the same time of day, you'll also help yourself by taking forced breaks from studying and schedulize your day and night. You'll sleep better.
M - Music. This, I've found, has really had a profound effect on pre- and post-test emotions. Pick one song you really like that really pumps you up, and pick some songs that you really like that really calm you down or takes you to another place. For me, with my more recent tests from years ago, I listened to DragonForce's Though the Fire and the Flames. I couldn't get enough of it. I loved the video. I never got sick of it, and this was key. When I was trying to ramp up for a session of studying while feeling kinda balls, I'd watch the music video. At night, or when I was not studying and just slacking off, I'd listen to a playlist of slower songs. When I take my recertification boards, I'll probably have a playlist filled with songs from at least Sparklehorse, Band of Horses, Real Estate, The Books, and Explosions in the Sky.
P - Preparation and Protocol. Here I'm talking about things to do in the peri-test period of time: what to do on the day of, during, and after the exam. Prepare a routine and make it a procedure. Do not make it long or complicated. For me, I prepare snacks in a bag, like trail mix. Something that gives you a bit of immediate sugar and carbs. Something a nominally filling. Have some just before you take the test. If you are able to take a break, have some during the break. My licensing and board exams were all-day affairs, and I was able to take breaks to walk out of the testing room. If it's a shorter exam, this might not be necessary, though I'd still encourage it. Ask your professor or proctor if this is allowable. Snack immediately after the test. Just cram your gullet with snacks: you've been thinking hard, sitting on your ass for a while, and getting hungry might make you feel crummy. In the hours before the exam, I take ibuprofen as a habit, cause, you know, what if you get a headache during the test? I do not know if there's any evidence that taking ibuprofen prophylactically for headaches really works, but I do it anyway. It's a procedure. It's on a checklist. It's a reminder that I've prepared for the test and the time that follows.
I - Insight without incitement. In the longer stretches of time between exams, when you've gotten over the period of funk from the last one, reflect upon your past experiences without beating yourself up over it, like you're doing with the AskMe question. Think about what changes you've made to your approach to preparing for and working with the post-test malaise you've had in the past. What positive changes have you made? Have you found your perfect pump-up song that you won't get sick of? Did you find a snack that's healthy and tasty? How are the changes to your eating and exercising habits affected you? Do you feel like you haven't made "enough" or the "right" changes? It's ok. You've got time. Relax. You've gone through negative experiences before, and you're mindful of wanting to change it. Hell, you've already taken a good, first step in simply posting here!
R - Recollection. Recall this very question you've asked. You'll undoubtedly will have received a lot of helpful advice and tips from other people. You've done a lot of work mentally and physically and have a routine and procedures in place. There is regularity. There is consistency. There is a plan. Try to remember this, and that you've a tremendous amount of work, perhaps everything you could do, to not repeat the same post-test funk you've dealt with.
E - Exam and Empire. This is it! You've tried your best to prepare for the exam and what follows. Take pride in this. Follow procedure and protocol: pop some ibuprofen (or acetaminophen, or whatever over-the-counter medicine you take for headaches). Listen to your pump-up song just before you enter the testing room. GET. FUCKING. PUMPED. UP! This song ROCKS! You're gonna rock the test and feel great afterward! After all, to paraphrase Queensryche metaphorically, you've built an empire!
Can't you feel it coming? EMPIRE!*
Can't you hear it coming? EMPIRE!
Can't someone here stop [you]? NO!
YOU'VE GOT THIS!
And after all is said and done, and you feel negative thoughts creeping in, tell yourself: "I've done my best. I'm pretty awesome in a lot of things and in general. I've done my best, and maybe my best ain't good enough, but I've done my best and that's pretty goddamn awesome!"
*Yes, I realize the song has nothing to do with exams. Neither does Through the Fire and the Flames, but hell, it's pumped me up for some tough exams!
posted by herrdoktor at 1:14 PM on October 17, 2015
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posted by btfreek at 2:04 PM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]