Understanding and Preventing Test Anxiety

Understanding and Preventing Test Anxiety Free Online Research Papers Anxiety is a condition that plagues millions of Americans everyday, but how does it affect our children and students? Students suffer everyday from test anxiety which is a type of performance anxiety, a feeling someone might have in a situation were performance is important and there is pressure. Test anxiety is not the same as doing poorly on a test because of distraction or one’s mind being on something else. It is an actual condition. Like all forms of anxiety, test anxiety has many symptoms and signs. Physical signs of test anxiety include perspiration, sweaty palms, headache, upset stomach, rapid heart beat, difficulty breathing, and tense muscles. Students may experience any number of theses signs during a test or exam. All students suffer from some degree of test anxiety, however, when students experience signs like these there is a problem. (Hurley) As all anxiety comes from anticipation, test anxiety is no different; it comes from the anticipation of a test or exam. When the body is under stress it will release adrenaline to prepare it’s self. The adrenaline is what causes physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart beat, and difficulty breathing. The stress comes from worrying about past performance, how others are doing, or the fear of failure. Focusing on such things fuels the anxiety and leaves no thoughts or mental space for thinking about the test questions. Test anxiety can also be caused by lack of preparation such as cramming, bad time management, not organizing test information, or poor study habits. (University of Buffalo) Test anxiety can become a vicious cycle; the more a student worries or focuses on the bad things the stronger the feeling of anxiety. The person will continue to feel worse and be filled with distracting thoughts and therefore not be able to perform well even though the student may have known the information necessary. There can be many effects of test anxiety such as nervousness or mental blocking University of Buffalo). Nervousness brings difficulty reading and understanding test questions, difficulty organizing thoughts, difficulty remembering key words or concepts for essay questions, and doing poorly on a test when the student knows the material. Mental blocking can be going blank on questions or remembering the correct answer right after the test ends. Sometimes students will study and know the material but because of the anxiety they suffer from they can not perform well, because of nervousness and mental blocking. There are many ways to reduce test anxiety being prepared or anticipating the on set of anxiety will really help as well as asking for help (Kids Health). The following is a collaborated list of preparation to reduce test anxiety. Approach the exam with confidence (Study Guides and Strategies) Learn material thoroughly so that you can still remember it under stress Self test as much as possible Avoid laziness and procrastination Use good time management Avoid cramming and the desire to do so Strive to stay relaxed and concentrate Avoid conversation or talking to those who are next to you or that will speak negatively. Have a healthy lifestyle: get enough sleep, eat well, exercise, and â€Å"down time† Sit in a well lit area of the room with the least distractions Be on time for the test Read test instructions and directions carefully Take slow deep breaths when the test is being passed out and when needed during testing Stay focused on only the exam Avoid day dreaming Make flash cards or outlines to study with Take good notes and review them after every class. The environment that the student studies in is very important to preparing and reducing test anxiety. The noise should be minimized and not distracting. Some students may need some noise while others may need silence. It may be a good idea to not answer the phone while studying to keep distraction done. Good lighting is a must. Seventy five watt bulbs are suggested to be best. It is better to keep the room cool rather then warm. Choose an area that has plenty of space and is not cramped. Your study time may also go smoother if the area is neat and tidy, so take a few minutes and clean up. Study at a desk with a straight back chair so you do not get to comfortable and want to sleep. Have everything you need to study with before you start so there are no distractions, this may include drinks and snacks. (University of Buffalo) Teachers also need to provide an environment that is appropriate for any kind of assessment that they are giving. It may also be necessary for students that suffer from test anxiety to be tested in a different room or be provided other resources and tools to be able to perform adequately. During the test a student can also use different strategies to reduce anxiety. Be sure to read the directions carefully and budget the test taking time. Change positions periodically throughout the test to help keep you relaxed. If you go blank or can not think of an answer skip the question and come back if there is time. When taking an essay test and you can not think of the answer on any of the questions just start writing and it may come to you. Most important do not panic even if other students are turning in their papers; you do not have to finish first. If you start to tense up or get anxious just relax and remember you are in control. Take slow deep breaths, stop and think about the next step and try to stay on task. Try to use positive reinforcement, look at what you have done. Expect some anxiety and use it to your benefit as a driving force. (Study Guides and Strategies) When someone comes aware that they may suffer from test anxiety that person should seek help. Tell your teacher and/or counselor so that special measures can be taken to assure that you can do your best. There are also local resources that may be able to help. Test anxiety is a real condition that needs to treated and addressed. Kubiszyn, Tom and Borich, Gary, Educational Testing and Measurement Classroom Application and Practice 8th Edition, pg. 50-51, 2007. Landsberger, Joe, Dealing with Test Anxiety, Study Guides and Strategies, www.studygs.net/tstprp8.htm, 4-12-07 University of Buffalo, Test Anxiety, http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/stresstestanxiety.shtml, 4-12-07 www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/mcanx.html, Managing Test Anxiety, 4-12-07 Hurley, Ednalyn K., Understanding and Preventing Test Anxiety www.kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test_anxiety.html, Test Anxiety, 4-12-07 Research Papers on Understanding and Preventing Test AnxietyStandardized TestingResearch Process Part OnePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Spring and AutumnOpen Architechture a white paperThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Project Managment Office SystemHip-Hop is Art

About the U.S. Department of State

About the U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State also referred to as â€Å"the State Department† or simply â€Å"State,† is the executive branch department of the United States federal government primarily responsible for administering U.S. foreign policy and consulting with the President of the United States and Congress on international diplomatic issues and policies. The mission statement of the State Department reads: â€Å"To advance freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community by helping to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty, and act responsibly within the international system.† The primary functions of the State Department include: Provide protection and assistance for U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad;Assist U.S. businesses and industries operating in the global marketplace;Coordinate and provide support for international activities of other U.S. agencies, official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts;Inform the public about U.S. foreign policy and relations with other countries and provide feedback from the public to administration officials. Similar the foreign ministries in other nations, the State Department conduct international diplomatic relations on the part of the United States by negotiating treaties and other agreements with foreign governments. The State Department also represents the United States in the United Nations. Created in 1789, the State Department was the first executive branch department established after final  ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Headquartered in the Harry S Truman Building in Washington, D.C., the State Department currently operates 294 U.S. embassies around the world and oversees compliance of more than 200 international treaties. As an agency of the president’s Cabinet, the State Department is led by the Secretary of State, as nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The Secretary of State is second in the line of presidential succession after the Vice President of the United States. In addition to assisting with the international activities of other U.S. government agencies, the State Department provides many important services to U.S. citizens traveling and living abroad and to foreign citizens trying to visit or immigrate to the United States. In perhaps its most publicly noticeable role the State Department issues U.S. Passports to U.S. citizens allowing them to travel to and return from foreign countries and travel visas to U.S. citizens and non-citizen residents. In addition, the State Department’s Consular Information Program informs the American public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security while traveling abroad. Country-specific travel information and global Travel Alerts and Warnings are vital parts of the program. The State Department also oversees all U.S. foreign aid and development programs such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. All activities of the State Department, including foreign assistance programs, representing the U.S. abroad, countering international crime and human trafficking, and all other services and programs are paid for through the foreign affairs component of the annual federal budget as requested by the president and approved by Congress. On average, the total State Department expenditure represents just over 1% of the total federal budget, projected to exceed  $4 trillion in 2017.  Ã‚   Brief History of the State Department On July 27, 1789, President George Washington singled a bill passed by the House of Representatives and Senate on July 21, 1789, creating the Department of Foreign Affairs as the first federal agency created under the new Constitution. A law enacted on September 15, 1789, changed the name of the agency to the Department of State and assigned it oversight of a variety of domestic, rather than foreign issues. For example, the law made the Department of State responsible for running the United States Mint and conducting the decennial U.S. census. During the 19th century, these and most of the Department of State’s other domestic duties were turned over to other federal agencies and departments. Appointed by President Washington on September 29, 1789, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, then serving as Minister to France became the first Secretary of State. Appointed before Washington had taken office, John Jay had been serving in as Secretary of Foreign Affairs and continued to function as de-facto Secretary of State until Jefferson returned from France several months later.