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<\/p>\ntake a moment. think about the most carefree day you\u2019ve ever had and put yourself there. maybe you\u2019re outside reading? relaxing with friends? the sun is shining. the birds are singing. ah, you take a deep breath \u2026 then<\/p>\n
wam. <\/b><\/p>\n
someone smacks a piece of paper in front of you, tells you to answer every single question on it before a timer runs out, and then says that how you score on this piece of paper will determine the course of the rest of your life. go.<\/p>\n
what the! your palms start sweating, your hands shaking, your eyeballs buzzing. \u201ci didn\u2019t ask for this!\u201d you shout to the sky.<\/p>\n
sorry if i just ruined your favorite memory. luckily for you, though, this will never in a million years actually happen. but we\u2019ve all experienced that moment of panic on the day of a test, right? that heart-pounding-adrenaline nervousness pumping through your veins. that\u2019s because we\u2019re human and humans have something called a \u201cfight or flight\u201d response. originally used to help your ancestors while they were out hunting wild animals, that instinct now unfortunately kicks in when you have a threatening exam sitting in front of you and makes\u00a0your brain\u00a0scream, \u201cpanic!\u201d<\/p>\n
but have you also noticed that if you put in enough studying beforehand, your test day panic almost dissolves? maybe you even feel \u2014 dare i say \u2014\u00a0a little confident. that\u2019s because you came into the test prepared. someone didn\u2019t suddenly smack it down in front of you and tell you to complete it \u2014 no, you knew exactly what you were getting into and you felt prepared to dominate it.<\/p>\n
that\u2019s what test prep does for standardized tests. it prepares you not only for the questions you\u2019ll see on the test, but also prepares your mind so you can control those stressful \u201cfight or flight\u201d thoughts and confidently dominate the gre, sat, gmat, or any other exam. here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n
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use the time you spend test prepping to get cozy with the exam. seriously. get to know it like an old friend \u2014 its quirks, its likes and dislikes, what makes it tick \u2014 know it so well that it becomes predictable. (\u201coh, another \u2018find the area of a square\u2019 question, gre? that is so like<\/i> you\u201d).<\/p>\n
the more familiar the test, the less intimidated you\u2019ll be by its various questions \u2014 and therefore, more confident and less stressed.<\/p>\n
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it\u2019s easy to let negative thoughts consume your mind on test day, and when they do, you might start to feel out of control and helpless. that\u2019s not conducive to good test taking, so learn how to manage those negative thoughts while you prep.<\/p>\n
how? start shutting down your negative thoughts as you go through your practice questions and tests. if you get a question wrong and start putting yourself down, catch it right then and there and flip it around. make a conscious effort to turn thoughts like \u201cthis is unfair, i hate that i have to take this test,<\/i>\u201d into \u201chey, you know what? i may not be able to pick what questions come my way, but i am confident that i can answer them to the best of my ability<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
make it a habit. by the time test day rolls around you\u2019ll be your own confidence coach.<\/p>\n
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when you\u2019re test prepping, no one is judging you or grading you. this is your chance to let go and makes some errors. it\u2019s just you and your practice questions, so go ahead and shamelessly make mistakes! all it does is tell you the areas that you need to focus on to improve your score. be honest with yourself about the areas that need improvement and you\u2019ll be shocked at how much more relaxed and confident you are on test day.<\/p>\n
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take a moment. think about the most carefree day you\u2019ve ever had and put yourself there. maybe you\u2019re outside reading? relaxing with friends? the sun is shining. the birds are singing. ah, you take a deep breath \u2026 then wam. someone smacks a piece of paper in front of you, tells you to answer every […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[136,165,46,29,166,43,167,168,169,138,51],"ppma_author":[495],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n