Ways To Keep Emotions Under Control Prior Exams
While it is completely normal to feel a bit nervous before the exams, some students find test anxiety debilitating. This year the format of exams is new and unaccustomed. Throughout the online exam session, we students will take exams with proctoring software in Examus, in Zoom etc.
It is valuable to remember several tips to deal with the future exams successfully.
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Be prepared
This seems obvious, but it bears repeating. If you feel confident that you’ve prepped thoroughly, you’ll feel more confident walking into the test.
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Get a good night’s sleep
Cramming is never the answer and pulling an all-nighter can exacerbate your nerves. Having adequate rest (is likely to be more beneficial than rereading a text until dawn.
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Fuel up
Eat a nutritious breakfast (who likes – drink coffee as well) before the test for ongoing energy.
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Get to the testing site early
Feeling rushed will only amp up the anxiety. Check the internet connection and reread the instructions the day before the exam. Put on the table everything you need the night before and set the alarm, so you can get wake up on time.
You can test your computer here: https://hse.student.examus.net/syscheck.html. Just sign up and make sure everything is alright.
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Watch the clock
LMS and Examus have a strict time limit, after which the student will not be able to send work. Realizing that time is almost up and there are lots of test questions left can make it hard to do anything useful in those final minutes. Stay on pace by scoping out the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you’ll spend on each section.
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Have a positive mental attitude and breathe deeply
Come up with a morale-boosting mantra like “I can do this” or “I worked hard and deserve this”. Recite your mantra, right before the test begins. Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind. The act of concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings.
Our university launched several ways to help students. Centre for Psychological Counselling (https://www.hse.ru/cpc/) provides free counseling for students in times of stress, and encourages them to ask for help with their most immediate concerns. It works from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day from Monday to Friday.
Moreover, on the website page of HSE University Life there are some pieces of advice and interesting articles written about the distance examination.
In my opinion, now the atmosphere is tense due to the fact that we are studying online and we are already bored of it. Nobody wants to be monitored by the special algorithm during the exam. However, I think we should realize, that exams are the part of our lives and one day we will pass all of them. Speaking about my feelings, every busy season makes me stressed, but friends and family support me. So, I advise all students to be confident and try to relax as much as it is possible. Share your thoughts and feelings with close friends and relatives, and, of course, sleep eight hours during the night”, - Anna Petsyurkovskaya, a second-year student of the "Oriental Studies" Program
All in all, keep calm and pass exams. If you need help, call to Centre for Psychological Counselling. Check everything and breathe deeply. Remember that if some new problems and cases arise, you should immediately report it to tech support. When you know what and how you can do, you are not afraid of anything. So, everything will go the right way.
Text by
Kristina Kondakova