Article November 3, 2003 Issue

No-sweat exams

By Doug Simmons

Thursday morning. 8:30 exam in chemistry. I am walking with my roommate and a few friends toward the classroom. Everyone is talking about the upcoming exam and how stressed out they are. One of the guys turns to me and asks, "Aren't you nervous?"

I'm really not. I tell him, "I never get nervous about exams. Not since high school."

I've learned that getting nervous over tests is not helpful. Nothing is really gained by becoming fearful. In fact, I've found that fear can decrease your focus and attention. If you're spending time and energy on being nervous, you have less time to focus on the exam itself. It's not that I go into every test with complete confidence or as prepared as I could be. But I also know that you always get the best performance when you're calm. So if I want to do the best that I can, no matter how much I've prepared — or not prepared — I've got to stay calm. That's a very down-to-earth, practical reason for staying calm. But there are spiritual reasons as well.

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