Article January 7, 1991 Issue

Feeling confidence at exam time

Tests include lots of questions, and they're not always limited to what's on the page. Our own doubts are answered by divine Mind.

James Marshall Fabian

Most students want to excel in the subjects they take, yet this admirable goal often is elusive because of the anxiety caused by examinations. Anxiety prevents us from thinking clearly. It's not surprising that muddled, fearful thinking can result in poor grades.

An effective way to relieve anxious thinking is to pray. This prayer, to the one God, who loves His children, can replace anxiety with a confidence that's based on the fact that man exists in perpetual harmony as the spiritual offspring of God.

I've used prayer many times to cut through the confusion caused by anxiety. For instance, when I took a college entrance examination after being out of high school for twelve years, I was concerned about doing well. During one portion of the timed test, I was having so much trouble with the material that I couldn't continue. The clock was ticking, and so much depended on the results of this test. I stopped to pray. I needed to acknowledge my identity as the child of God and to recognize Him as the source of intelligence. I reminded myself that the intelligence He supplies to me as His image and likeness, can be applied to any situation I face.

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