Managing Stress and Test Anxiety
One of the most common issues facing students is anxiety. While mild anxiety can be expected before exams, interviews and oral presentations, it can become detrimental if it begins to interfere with daily living. At college campuses throughout the nation, the number of students experiencing anxiety-related conditions is increasing.
Anxiety Symptoms
If the following symptoms are experienced on a regular basis, it is recommended a student seek assistance:
- Unrealistic or excessive worry and fears
- Excessive sweating, trembling, shakiness, muscle aches
- Stomach upset, diarrhea, extreme dry mouth
- Dizziness, chronic tension headaches
- Racing or pounding heart, rapid pulse, chest tightness
- Ritualistic behaviors to reduce or avoid anxiety
- Extreme or prolonged feelings of disappointment, anger, depression, helplessness
Test Anxiety Can Affect Student Learning
One type of anxiety faced by students is test anxiety. While a certain level of nervousness is common for students, especially when facing challenging exams and courses, it is the level of anxiety that differentiates the condition.
Excessive worry can perpetuate a cycle that erodes confidence and interferes with learning and performance. Characteristics of test anxiety include:
- Feelings of "going blank" during exams
- Racing heart, breathing difficulty and feeling like the room is "closing in" during exams
- Sudden knowledge of answers after turning in tests
- Low/inconsistent scores on exams
Counseling Services Can Help
Anxiety can be detrimental to academic performance as well as to psychological, physical and emotional health. BW Counseling Services offers students an environment for discussing anxiety as well as other factors that may be contributing to the condition.
Among programs, Counseling Services offers individual counseling, psychological and personality testing, and screenings for depression, anxiety, eating disorders and alcohol misuse.
BW partners with national providers of telemedicine behavioral health services. Students have access to these services free of charge.