Test Prep Burnout: Avoid It At All Cost
No matter how much time and energy you have spent on your test prep, and despite the fact that you forced yourself to get adequate rest, you may still be high strung, nervous and irritable as your exams draw closer.
If you have the above-mentioned warning signs as your big exams approach, you may be suffering from a bad case of test prep burnout, and realizing this may go along way to helping you achieve good results.
Firstly, know that yours isn't an isolated case. Almost everyone that is getting ready for a high-stakes event gets a case of jitters, even when he or she knows they have done the work required for test prep. The examinee feels even more anxious in cases where there is inadequate research material available on the subject at hand.
Relaxation Is Part of Test Prep
If you've done the work required, the only thing left for you to do before you write the exam is to prepare yourself physically and emotionally for the Big Day. This means getting enough sleep, a good diet, and placing your physique in a relaxed, yet prepared, state. It is in your best interest to give your body a chance to climb out of its state of exhaustion to give yourself an edge.
Keep in mind that there have been many before you in a similar situation, and most of them have come through quite well at the other end, assuming they have met their test prep requirements.
This may be a good time to make a short list of the things that need to be done. Somehow, when we jot down the ideas that are running through our heads, there is a calming effect, as we now have our ideas in a place where we can set them down temporarily, and know where they are when we are ready to pick them up again.
This is not the time to start cramming, as trying to jam the information into your brain at the last minute may have the opposite effect from what you are trying to achieve. Cramming is a sure-fire way to develop test anxiety, and may interfere with all-important mental focus.
You may, however, think about finding an online diagnostic tool, to help you get into a frame of mind that will help you anticipate the nature, generally, of what a typical actual examination may be like. There are many resources online that can help, and it is simply a matter of searching for the right ones.
You may allow yourself to take a break -- perhaps go out for a couple of hours with some friends to have some fun, have a few laughs to release the tension, and come back relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep.
If you get the chance, you may benefit from speaking with others who have had to go through a similar test prep, for a similar subject, and get their thoughts on the process. Most of them will no doubt be reassuring, and this will help you get settled in. They may likely have a few suggestions on how to make the process more efficient for you. Keep an open mind when listening to their ideas, but be aware that you are going to do this your way.
Make sure to maintain a positive mental state, and continue to keep a healthy diet. It is surprising how a combination of seemingly insignificant actions, when taken collectively, can have a cumulative effect towards successful test prep outcomes.
Most of all, it will help you to visualize the fruits of your effort -- keep thinking about what a successful test prep can do for your career, and your future. This would be the perfect time to allow yourself to anticipate the fruits of your labor.