I am in college, and affraid of takeing test.?

Question

last thurs. we took test i had a panic attack in class they had to rush me to the hosptial, how can i get over this fear?

Answer 1

i agree with american traveler that college is not for everybody but please don't leave. i do have one friend who is 18 (i'm 21 which is a benefit) in first year of college and just had to decide to leave but she really tried first.
the reason i'm okay even though it is an intimidating place is because i did a diploma in a small college when i left school to get used to the idea of college. i worked on an off for a couple of years after and had mild depression and anxiety. i went to talk to someone. she gave me techniques that didn't help but talking to someone and knowing that there was someone who knew more about my inner thoughts no matter how abstract and complicated helped because i didn't have to try and summarise them every time i tried to explain why i was upset.
i absolutely couldn't work sometimes. i started loads of jobs and ended up leaving before or after the first day because i would feel this dreadful trapped feeling and a lack of control. it was also partly the fact i wasn't doing something i even vaguely liked. the idea of HAVING to be somewhere day in day out panicked me. i stopped working for a while but eventually got a job in a shop nearby at night which i got used to and ended up staying in for 9 months.
now i am in first year of college and due to the three years since school i have subconsiously noticed patterns of outcomes. if i fail at something my life doesn't stop. people don't hate me and if they do it also seems to be people i don't really care for.
i just had my winter exams and i accepted that yes i might do badly but if i do my best that's literally all i can do. you'd be surprised how much succumbing to that can calm you.
physically, if you get cramps ignore them and deep breath the whole time. one breath honestly helps. in the exam look at your desk and ignore your surroundings until you adjust to them. if you feel an attack coming on, put up your hand- the supervisor will accompany you to the toilet. calm down (youhave to believe in your brain that the breathing will work and it will) and have some water and don't feel silly if you need to explain what's wrong to them.
if you find you can't get over this could you defer for a year. it can make all the difference but don't drop out - it can cause more problems because it is actually a move foward even if it doesn't feel like it.
i hope this helps.
basically, accept, breath, do and evaluate, then reward.
and it will ease up i promise you.
and GOOD LUCK! there's no reason why you can't do as well as anyone else! :)

Answer 2

What might help is to learn to meditate and keep your mind focused. Do some breathing techniques that will allow you to relax before the test. Another thing, be well prepared for your test that will lessen the anxiety of taking the test. Also form a study group of people in your class so you can bounce ideas off one another and you have a support system you can fall back on in case you need help. But if your panic attacks are so severe that you need hospitalization, you might consider speaking to a psychiatrist and see what else might be going on that might be triggering these attacks. They might have to prescribe something for you. There is alot you can do to make it through your classes. Alot of people get anxiety when taking a test. So don't feel alone. There are ways to work through your fear. Like one of the others said on here, "Just do it", that is tough to do but they are right. The more you do something the less you become afraid of it.

Answer 3

[Sigh!]

Sometimes you have to wonder about people who comment on a question without answering it.

If you are having panic attacks and this happens to you in other situations, "Just do it!" is annoying, not useful. Suggestions that you scr*w up your life by dropping out of college deserve an internet-based slap upside the head for the person who gave that answer.

Here's the real answer.

First, remember that your life will not come to an end if you get a question wrong. Even if you fail the test, all that means is that you need to get help with your studying, though of course failing too many of them can have *consequences,* so it is best to avoid that by studying hard.

The object of the test is to let you show how well you know the material, not to rate your value as a human being. Focus on that. It's all about the material.

Now, admittedly there ARE exceptions, because some people never grow up, including some academics and teachers, but generally, most teachers want to teach you HOW to think (ie: for yourself) not WHAT to think (ie: to parrot a prechosen answer).

Take the social context out of it; as useful as keeping advised of the higher social rank of the professor and what he likes or dislikes can be, when you are in class, testing or otherwise, the main issue is gaining and demonstrating knowledge, not parroting the answer that will get social approval.

If you have studied, and you know you know the material, then remind yourself that there is really no difference between reciting it to yourself while studying and writing it down for the teacher. The answers are the same. Remind yourself that you do know your subject; that will help you stay calm.

If you really DON'T think you know your material, there is a cure for that; STUDY! If that does not help, get a tutor.

Don't do what I did with math 20 years ago.

My folks told me over and over that I had exactly four years to finish or I wouldn't get a degree, so because I was having too much trouble with math and my advisor told me that I would need a fifth year, I switched majors.

My folks never told me that they would have been willing to pay for a tutor, and I never asked, because I was afraid of them, and they had never meant anything but exactly what they said on any other issue. Since they never advised me that I had options, I reacted as if I had none. My livelyhood has been adversely affected by that decision for the rest of my life.

If your parents are paying for your education, ASK. You have nothing to lose by asking for help a potentially everything to gain. if you don't get anywhere with that, ask your professor after class what he or she might reccomend.

Lastly, if you have medication for your condition, and it doesn't make you too fuzzy in the head, take some before the test. If it is something that does make you fuzzy in the head, consider a partial dose to get some benefit without losing your concentrative edge.

Lastly, RELAX. Breathe. You can do this.

Good luck on your next test. I wish I could go back.

Laurie

Answer 4

The same way you get over the fear of anything else. Just do it.

Answer 5

you are in college you should know how to spell taking. not takeing. and maybe you should talk to a psychiatrist about the anxiety attacks. they can give you some medication.

Answer 6

this is pretty serious, so you should talk to some one.but if you want to do it by yourself you just got to try again and again.don't feel bad about failing.so try to work on your subjects and slowly you will feel comfortable.

Answer 7

You should probably get out of college and do something different. College is not for everybody.