Question:
How do I deal with exam season anxiety? I feel like I'm spending more time being anxious and worried of failing than spending time on the material :(
Response:
I find that having a routine and getting myself organized helps me deal with my exam season anxiety. I try to plan out my meals and snacks ahead of time so that I have one less thing to worry about, and I try to incorporate as many healthy foods as possible. When I eat less nutritious food, I feel bad and that makes it hard for me to study. I also try to make a study schedule. There is so much content to cover and it can be very overwhelming to know where to start, so I break each course down into units, sometimes even specific lectures, and I make these into checklists to keep myself on track (and the satisfaction of checking things off my to-do list keeps me motivated!). I make sure to schedule time for breaks to do things I enjoy as well.
I spent my first year with this level of anxiety about my exams and grades as well, so know you aren’t alone! I try to remind myself that it’s okay to be anxious, as that fuels performance, but once it starts to interfere with your ability to function, then it is unhealthy. I find that talking to someone about my anxiety really helps me to put things into perspective. For me, this person is my mom, but it can be anyone- a friend, family member, classmate, peer mentor, or a counsellor.
Your marks do not define your worth. Now that you are in pharmacy school, as long as you are passing your classes, your marks don’t matter. We all finish with the same degree, and no future employer is going to ask for your transcript before hiring you. I know that transitioning your mindset is not easy because there is such a focus on grades up until this point, but once you come to this realization on your own, things will get better. I was terrified of failing because I tied my self-worth to my grades. I was miserable and anxious all the time, and I did fail an exam. This was one of the best things to happen to me. It helped me to put things into perspective and realize that all of my fears and anxieties were misplaced. I was able to practice self-compassion and grow as a person.
Be kind to yourself. Every time you start to have these negative thought patterns, take a deep breath. You are completing pharmacy school online in the middle of a pandemic. That takes strength and bravery. You are doing a good job and you are enough. Treat yourself with compassion and grace, and this will help reset your mindset and allow you to focus on the material.
If you want to talk with one of our peer mentors further about your exam anxiety, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Anxiety Resources:
Body scan exercise to explore non-threatening tension in the body:
'Dropping the anchor' exercise to do when caught up in tough thoughts, feelings or emotions (there is an audio file and an infographic attached below):
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