By Nicklas Bara, MD/MBA student at Michigan State University
Reading time: Four minutes
Students struggle with a variety of subjects and situations throughout their multi-year journey of university. Many students may approach their school anxieties in different ways, but of those anxieties, test anxiety continues to be a significant barrier
to many students’ success. Test anxiety, or the increased stress level and panicked state faced during exam periods, contributes significantly to lower test scores1 and higher chances of a decreased grade point average compared to non-anxious
students
2. In this article, we’ll cover various ways to help students handle their test anxiety effectively and safely, so that they can achieve their academic goals confidently.
Student Preparation and Study Strategy
Many students have study strategies that they’ve developed over time, strategies that they’ve carried through to their university years. Conversely, many students may also not have a study strategy at all, and have simply done well on their tests in the
past by just paying attention in class. As university courses progress and increase in difficulty, these students will be faced with the unfortunate reality that their strategy will not help them succeed if it’s not improved, and as a result they
will show increased levels of test anxiety and anxiety related to school in general. Providing resources on proven study strategies can help students not only do better in their studies, but can help relieve their stress and give them an increased
feeling of support from their school. Resources can take multiple forms, such as study workshops once a month or once a semester, programs to pair peer study groups, pages on the school’s site detailing study methods such as the Feynman Technique or the Blurting Method for easy access.
What’s equally important when creating resources for students to improve their study strategies is to simply ask students what resources they think would benefit their studying techniques. It’s likely they have genuinely helpful insights into how certain
processes could be improved, so anything from a simple mass survey to a student-faculty committee focused on improving student resources can be incredibly useful for maintaining student stress and lowering student body test anxiety.
Mental Health Support for Students
Test anxiety can be a significant barrier to not just academic performance but general daily function for students as well3. Having a strong network of mental health professionals both on campus and in the local area can help the student population
thrive. Providing access to mental health resources in the forms of free therapy sessions (if provided by the school), a list of local counselors and psychiatrists, and a list of your county/state/nation’s mental health call helplines can provide
students with the tools necessary to handle more significant levels of anxiety they may face on top of their testing anxiety.
Additionally, providing education on different coping mechanisms that can help test anxiety in the moment can greatly improve student test anxiety and confidence throughout their undergraduate and graduate years. For example, if they’re feeling significant
stress during a test, practicing square breathing is a common technique recommended by the psychology field to significantly reduce stress in a short amount of time while also helping anxiety in the long-term4.
Formatting Rooms to Combat Test Anxiety
Much of test anxiety, similarly to anxiety and mental conditions in general, is dictated by the environment the student works and lives in, and providing a strong and comforting environment during advising appointments can help overall student emotional
state. For example, increased levels of soft blue and green colors are theorized to promote calmer environments and reduce inhabitant stress5. Even if you’re unable to change the colors of the walls or a significant portion of the room,
having more objects or pieces of cooler hues can provide a more welcoming environment for students.
Many students who have either test anxiety or general anxiety have a higher likelihood of fidgeting to find comfort6. Students may bounce their legs, pick or bite their nails, or bite the inside of their cheeks, but allowing them access to
different fidget items can also help relieve their anxiety during appointments and non-testing scenarios. During tests, something as simple as the amount of elements (objects, wall hangings, etc.) have been shown to reduce stress in high stress environments7.
Conclusion
In conclusion, test anxiety and student stress are significant contributors to low academic performance and unhealthy emotional states in university student populations. Utilizing different strategies in providing comfortable environments and useful resources
can greatly reduce these stressors while also improving the general campus environment. With these provisions, you can secure your student’s academic performance and make them feel supported enough to succeed in their tests and the rest of their university
courses.
1. Cassady, Jerrell C., and Ronald E. Johnson. "Cognitive test anxiety and academic performance." Contemporary educational psychology 27.2 (2002): 270-295.
2. Chapell, Mark S., et al. "Test anxiety and academic performance in undergraduate and graduate students." Journal of educational Psychology 97.2 (2005): 268.
3. Steinmayr, Ricarda, et al. "Subjective well-being, test anxiety, academic achievement: Testing for reciprocal effects." Frontiers in psychology 6 (2016): 1994.
4. Cho, Hyunju, et al. "The effectiveness of daily mindful breathing practices on test anxiety of students." PloS one 11.10 (2016): e0164822.
5. Elhawary, Dalia M., et al. "The psychology of color in psychotherapy in psychiatric rehabilitation hospitals." Journal of Textiles, Coloration and Polymer Science 21.2 (2024): 443-448.
6. Reinecke, Katharina CH, et al. "Fidgeting behavior during psychotherapy: Hand movement structure contains information about depressive symptoms." Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy 50 (2020): 323-329.
7. Andrade, Cláudia Campos, and Ann Sloan Devlin. "Stress reduction in the hospital room: Applying Ulrich's theory of supportive design." Journal of environmental psychology 41 (2015): 125-134.
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