So I had a History exam (worth 10% of the yearly mark) and i look around, and there are people stressing over a question they didn't study for, which was worth 2 marks. Personally i think stressing is overrated and you forget most of what you study when you stress-thats what I find anyway. What do you people think? Do you think stressing over a test is necessary???
Well, stressing over a test isn't so much as necessary, but more along the lines of being nervous. When you take a test that counts for a lot of your grade, you get nervous because you want to do good, and there is stress because of outside forces other than yourself. Like, parents, friends, jobs, colleges, all kinds of things can make you stress over a test. I get a little stressed over some of my bad grades because I need to get into college and make good money for a future family. (Yeah, I'm planning) Stress isn't a chosen feeling, it just sort of happens when you're nervous. Just keep calm, and trust you'll do fine. That's what I do, usually works out for me.
NOPE. My life depends on this test is a load of bullshi-. When people freakout they tend to have a mental blank. But if the test was given for homework I'm pretty sure they'd pass with flying colours xD. Not neccessary, don't bother stressing. Just study as much as you can and hope to your God that you pass. I wouldnt worry about what other kids may think of the test because they may only bring you down aswell :\ Just stay calm, relax and breathe.
On the other hand if you are too complacent (I think that is the right word) about it then you can **** up just as easily. Overly stressing is a bad thing, it can cause you to panic and freak out, but a little pressure is a good thing, it makes you actually pay attention.
I think what most people forget is that the final is only worth 10-15, MAYBE 20% of their total grade. So at the very least (10%) they'll go down a grade. That is true. Though if anyone is like me, a little stress causes you to have a form of short-term memory loss where the stress of the situation causes you to forget things. Though if you are too calm, you can **** up quite easily by mistake. So really it's anyone's game on a final exam. D:
It depends on the person, honestly. One who usually stresses over their tests most likely takes them seriously or are worried they did not study enough. There are exceptions, of course. In the case of your example, the stressing wasn't required over that 2-mark question, in my opinion. However, if the total percentage of the yearly mark was much higher, then the students stated in your post would have a justified reason to be stressed. Just my two cents.
I'd opt for a middle course. When you're nervous your mind gets clouded and thinking (and answering) straight becomes a lot harder. This is especially troublesome in an oral exam. On the other hand, overconfidence might lead to not re-reading your answers and not spotting possible mistakes you would have seen otherwise. I remember being screwed over by my own nonchalance more than once in the past.
Heh, sometimes I freak out, but it's part of being nervous. Sometimes we feel like our lives depend on a test because we want to do good and do the best we can. Some people may not really care, but I wouldn't say they think of it as it's an important thing to worry about. If you try to keep a level head while taking a test, you could suceed better. But that's the hardest part.
Stressing over a test makes things worse. I took the ACT this year, a test I shouldn't officially take for another two years. I went in with no prior studying, 4 hours of sleep running on a goddamned BAGEL and got a 30. I was in the 98th percentile of graduating seniors officially, and I'm a sophomore.
I go into exams thinking they are going to be insanely difficult. That way I force myself to concentrate on every question and make fewer stupid mistakes. The most mistakes I make in papers that I find easy are really stupid ones that I really shouldn't be making, because I have been too complacent. However, in the run up to exams stressing over them can really mess with your health =/
I'd agree with others that the middle-course is usually best. A little stress to do things right is not a bad thing. It can be a motivator. No stress at all can lead to writing poorly and not being as thorough as you should be, or you may miss out on trick questions because you are not paying as much attention as you would if you knew you had to take the test seriously. Too much stress, for me anyway, tends to happen only if I've not studied at all for something and I come to realize just how big of a mistake that was. I bombed some of those because I was so anxious.. but also because I'd forgotten stuff or never knew it to begin with. Even if I didn't do homework in high school all the time, I did learn a strategy for tests that worked well for me. I would read the material of the books or get other more interesting books on the subject so I then was able to excel on my finals, even if some classes I was in were otherwise Cs or the occasional Ds. In college, I've found out this strategy is even more effective so it's something to pass on to others that might help, who don't do so good in the classes otherwise and feel the finals are their only way to pass.
People really need to relax, definitely. Not so relaxed that they don't care at all, but taking a middle ground between preparing and being like "OMG TEST OMGGGGG". That being said, from personal experience not everyone can really help it; it depends on their home situation and how much importance is put on grades.
I really hate when people are totally stressed out about things but...I'm a bit of a hypocrite. :/ I get really stressed out over things because whenever I don't stress out over something and take it seriously, I fail completely. Though even when I try, I fail. So I guess it may be better to just relax. I don't know. xD
I only get a little nervous when it comes to test. But, even if I did study, I'd still be nervous. The only time I would really stress over a test is when it comes to finals. Especially since I kind of want to go a good college, I really need to study hard in finals. But if it's a little test, barely means anything to your grade, it's kind of annoying to hear people telling me, "Dude, I'm freaking stressing over this test." It can be annoying.
