Taking tests at school can be unpleasant for children, and that’s especially true during standardized testing and finals season. With such a big exam looming overhead, it’s a stressful time. If students don’t study enough, they could go into their big test with anxiety about not knowing enough, but if they study too much, they could be burnt out by the time the test arrives.
We spoke with Ashley Bartley, associate dean in the College of Education at University of Phoenix, about how students and parents can handle test anxiety
and study in a smart way before finals.
Responses were edited for length and clarity.
What are some common ways parents and students approach tests that hurt more than they help?
Testing can really bring out a lot of anxiety for both kids and parents. I think it’s important to not overemphasize test scores and to really understand that they don’t necessarily reflect everything that the student has learned over that year. It’s just
kind of showing where they are at that particular time. Kids can kind of start seeing their self-worth tied to their test scores.
Cramming and over-studying can be kind of a harmful way to approach testing season. If kids are staying up late or skipping meals to study, that really can backfire. Kids retain less information when they’re tired or stressed.
During finals season or standardized testing, families unintentionally drop some of the usual routines that kids are used to, whether that’s social time or sports. But these non-academic activities are still critical.
And then, really for the parents, it’s important to know that parental stress transfers to the kids. Kids are very perceptive. If they feel that their parents are anxious or overly intense about testing and studying, they’ll end up mirroring that anxiety. If a parent is worked up
about a big test their child is taking, the child will internalize that anxiety.
What anxiety symptoms should parents be on the lookout for?
It’s the two extremes, really. Being overly intense about studying or being extremely apathetic about it. [Kids] might be overwhelmed and shutting down in the latter case. If students aren’t paying attention and not even making an effort to approach studying, they could be overwhelmed. Either extreme is not helpful for students.
How do you study without becoming burnt out?
It’s really about intentional balance and trying to avoid the extremes of studying for hours on end. Have shorter, more focused study sessions that don’t involve just going over everything at once.
Students can look at results from past tests and identify which areas they
need more focus in and prioritize those. But an important part of that schedule
is having some downtime to avoid burnout. So, it’s having a realistic study schedule with some scheduled downtime so that students don’t always feel pulled to be needing to be studying more.
There are also more active ways for students to retain information better than just looking over their class notes. Some students are more visual learners, so making a visual with test subjects or using flash cards can help. Students who learn best by directly working can take sample tests or go through sample questions.
How can students reduce their stress outside of studying?
Prioritizing sleep and nutrition is important. The brain needs sleep and nutrition. Studying for hours into the night doesn’t matter if you wake up really tired or hungry on the day of the test. When kids are taking breaks from studying, they should try to incorporate movement into those breaks. [That] can help them reset and focus their energy levels, even if it’s just getting up and taking a walk or stretching or doing a little dance break. With my own kids, I noticed that it’s easier for them to focus if they’ve moved around a bit beforehand.
Maintaining healthy friendships and connecting with people is also really important. You have to keep a balance of studying, staying active and spending time with friends. If you cut out fun times with friends or things you enjoy doing, you’ll burn out much more easily.
Are there any ways teachers can help a student or parent deal with pre-test anxiety?
Having closer communication with teachers can help parents understand how
their child is doing in class and can help them create a study schedule based
around the areas they need to focus on. Teachers often have great ideas for study strategies or may have tips they’ve used to help their own children with school.
Some children just don’t test well, even if they do well on their other assignments. What’s the best way to cope with that?
This is another case where partnering with your child’s teacher would be really helpful so you can better understand your child’s testing experience. Some students may need testing accommodations or an IEP (individualized education program).
But if those accommodations aren’t the concern, it’s important to normalize the experience of having test anxiety. Let your kids know that many people struggle with testing and just because testing is difficult for them, it doesn’t mean that they’re not trying hard or that they’re not smart. After the test, try to create some positivity with your child, or debrief about what they understood and what they felt they struggled with on the test. That
way, you can better prepare for future tests.
But you should also celebrate their strengths and the effort they put in. Regardless of their grade, remind them of the skills they are showing through studying and testing, like perseverance. Model compassion and encouragement, and they’ll adopt a growth mindset instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
