- Be sure to use all of the suggestions for
studying, like reading a chapter before it
is discussed in class, attending class regularly,
doing all of the Chapter Review Problems,
having a study buddy, etc. If you don’t
study well, your test anxiety will not go
away.
-
Make sure you understand which chapters
will be included on each test. Several days
before the real test, do the Practice Tests
found in the text for those chapters that will
be covered on the test. Time yourself, so
you will have practice doing problems under
a time constraint. Do all of the problems
before checking your answers. After you have
finished all of the questions, check your
answers and figure what percent you got correct.
If your answers are wrong, look at the solutions
on our Web site (Step-by-Step Solutions) or
in the printed Student Solutions Manual. Make
sure you understand the procedures used to
get the correct answer.
- As you do the Chapter Review Problems and
Practice Tests, circle the problem numbers
for the problems you struggle with. Then,
before taking the test, redo those problems.
Mark the problems you still struggle with;
redo them again until you understand every
single Chapter Review Problem and Practice
Test problem. As a final way of preparing,
look over the problems again and remind yourself
of ”the
common mistakes” to avoid for each type
of problem. If you understand how to do every
problem correctly, there should be no surprises
on the test. Preparing properly is probably
the best way to reduce math test anxiety!
- Don’t cram for the test. Begin your
review several days before the test.
- Don’t stay up late the night before
the test; instead, just do a quick review
the night before the test.
- Eat right. Don’t eat too much sugar,
because that can make you jittery. If you
overeat you will become
sleepy; more blood goes to your stomach to
help digestion, which means less blood goes
to your brain.
-
During the test, read instructions carefully.
For each problem, make sure you answer the
question that was asked. Include $ signs and
% symbols in your answers, as needed. And
include unit titles in your answer (like
miles, feet, cars).
- Work the problems you know how to do first;
skip the problem that gives you trouble and
come back to it later (while this is an “attempt” at
humor, there will likely be very few problems
that are confusing if you prepare properly).
By working the problems you are sure of first,
you can proceed through the test knowing you
have not missed any problems. And you will
be less likely to run out of time by spending
too much time on one of those tricky problems.
- Make sure your answers seem reasonable.
If, for example, you are trying to calculate
a monthly car payment and you get an answer
of $3,815, something is probably wrong. And
use common sense. For example, if you are
multiplying 4.03 × 39.8754,
the answer should be approximately 4 × 40,
or about 160.
- On a multiple choice test, look at all
possible answers before making your selection.
The most popular “wrong answers” will
likely appear as choices.
- Keep your work in case your instructor wants
to see how you got your answer; you might get
partial credit.
-
If you find yourself getting stressed during
the test, put your test and pencil down, sit
back and relax, think nice thoughts and just
breathe normally until you feel more relaxed.
Or ask the instructor if you can leave the
room for awhile.
- If you don’t do as well on the test
as you had hoped, try to figure out what you
could have done better.
-
If you have a history of unusually high test
anxiety, ask whether you can take the test
at a testing center or have extra time to take
the test.
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