Tired eyes from poor sleep, a fluttering stomach, and an uncomfortably pounding heart, can be familiar feelings to any student on test day. Test anxiety is stressful, and it was my least favorite thing about school. But there is good news; it doesn’t need to be like that. Imagine this scenario instead: you show up on test day feeling well rested, confident, and even excited because you just know you are going to ace the test! The key to calming those nerves is to use a solid test prep strategy for studying and taking the exam, so you feel confident and well-prepared. These strategies and tips will help you on tests in massage school, as well as when you take the MBLEx to get your massage license. The following five strategies are what took me from being afraid of tests, to looking forward to them.
1. Believe in yourself
Strategy number one is to believe in yourself. This may be the most important advice of all. You can do this! Positive self-talk is so vital for increasing confidence. Even if it feels impossible, fake it until you make it. Tell yourself that you can and will ace your massage test. Visualize how amazing you will feel when you see that good grade, how you will smile and feel pride in yourself. When you catch yourself going into fearful storytelling, simply pause, breathe, and reset. If you have faith in yourself, you can ace a test and accomplish great things! And remember the old saying, “Whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t…you’re right”.
2. Make a study plan (and use it)
Strategy number two is to make a study plan that covers all of the material and topics on the test. I know this might seem obvious, but waiting for the last minute and then cramming for the exam is not a good plan. This is especially true for final exams, or a comprehensive exam like the MBLEx exam. Science shows that cramming doesn’t work very well. Plus, it tends to make stress levels even worse. Stress does not improve test performance, not at all! So, ditch that last minute cram, and make a study plan that works. Take control of your test anxiety by making that strategy to study a little bit every day. I would suggest actually putting your study time into your calendar or schedule. Study time can be just as vital as class time, so treat it as such. Write it down, leave time for it, and then do it. A little self-discipline goes a long way.
3. Create a study ritual
Strategy number three is to create a study ritual. Once study time becomes a habit, it will take less willpower to follow through with it. If you take the time to create a routine and environment for your study sessions, your brain will take note, and automatically shift into study mode. I like to play classical music, and turn off my phone, and often will study in the same spot. All of these things are cues to the brain to focus, and focus is the key to effective studying. Studying with intention and focus is far more effective than studying haphazardly or with distractions. Creating a ritual for your massage study sessions will also help you to overcome procrastination and any tendency to put off studying until the last minute.
4. Make your study sessions engaging
The fourth study strategy is to make study time engaging. If you are sitting there trying to cram knowledge into your brain, getting bored, it is simply not going to be effective. Studying can be fun! Make it hands on, engage all of your senses. If you are studying kinesiology, palpate the muscles on yourself. Draw those muscles out with colored pencils. Make a song, or a rhyme, or a story about the origins and insertions. Take some massage practice tests or quizzes, then use your study session to study the topics that you struggled on. Find a friend and make a study date. Be creative, make it personal, it will stick so much better. These are all ways to apply active learning strategies.
Let’s pause for a moment before we go to the final strategy. Why not give yourself a moment to appreciate all the hard work you put into implementing your massage exams study strategy? Great work! Now you are ready to take that test, and you walk in to take that test, and hopefully you are feeling so excited and confident.
5. Get grounded and centered before your massage exam
Study strategy number five is to get grounded and centered. In other words, find a way to get mentally focused on the task at hand. Along with strategy number one, I think this is a key to testing well. Even if you messed up and missed out on following your original massage exam study plan, with this 5th tip, you may still be able to get a decent grade on the test. It is crucial to be grounded and centered so that you can actually be in the present moment, focused on that test, responding to the questions calmly. Test anxiety is real, even when we prepare well for an exam. So please, take that moment to practice your favorite grounding and centering ritual. Mine is to take 5-10 deep, mindful breaths, while feeling the sensations of my feet on the floor. I really focus in on how the pressure of my feet rest on the surface of the floor and let go of thoughts as I breathe. If I get caught up in test anxiety again at any point during the test, I pause, set my test down for a moment, and take a few more breaths.
So, there you have it, the exact strategies that helped me to move from extreme test anxiety to feeling much more confident on taking tests in massage school. I have faith that these tips are helpful and wish you much success in school and beyond.
