Emma Reyes

Health Education

June 26, 2022

Project 3: Case Study Analysis

In the case study provided, Katya is an average student who has an important chemistry

exam she must excel on to keep her scholarship. Even though she studies the material, she has an

immense amount of test anxiety due to low confidence in her abilities. When trying to study for

the exam, she experiences a panic attack due to anxiety, and needs help to combat this problem

before the test which is two days away. This is a common problem that students may experience

regardless of how well of a student they may be, anxiety can get the best of everyone.

I have definitely experienced similar situations to Katya’s and still struggle with test

anxiety today. I have gotten very bad anxiety and stress when it comes to school work and didn't

know how or who to reach out to to help with the problem. Not finding a solution ultimately

blew up in my face, I panicked and dropped out of college due to the stress and helplessness I

felt, not knowing how to manage the amount of work that was thrown my way. In addition, I had

no support group to talk to or guidance with my struggles which propelled me to run further

away from my problems and give up. Even though school in general and motivation to follow

through with things have been a battle for me, I took matters into my own hands and researched

resources that are available to me to help me study, ways I can reduce anxiety, and took time to

improve my mental well-being. After taking a two year break, I am hungry for a change and am

back in college taking classes at a slower pace to avoid overwhelming myself, but still furthering

my education.

The first step I would recommend to students who are struggling with anxiety is to avoid

procrastination when it comes to schoolwork or studying. Waiting till the last minute in any

situation can send someone in a panic because of the growing intensity it now holds, and doing
this is a form of self-handicapping. Getting out of your own way and having an open mindset is

important for test anxious people because they tend to “avoid opportunities to improve their

academic abilities and their study- and test-taking skills to further reinforce their negative

beliefs” (Putwain). “Monitoring distracting information that is generated by oneself, such as

thoughts about failure” (Mavilidi) is a tactic that helps the brain stay focused and is optimal for

maximum performance. As a way to ease anxiety, being prepared and skimming over material

before doing a test as early as possible and looking ahead at the test problems “would activate

the cognitive schemas that are necessary to solve the problems and reduce the students’ anxiety”

(Mavilidi). Test anxiety can be reduced by keeping these six components in mind that were put

to the test through multiple sessions done on students who have anxiety themselves. “Understand

and recognize the signs and effects of test anxiety, recognize and challenge negative and biased

ways of thinking about failure, learn and practice ways of controlling physiological

manifestations of test anxiety, learn and practice study- and test-taking skills, understand

different forms of motivation and challenge avoidance behaviors, and evaluate the usefulness of

the different strategies” (Putwain). In addition to those tips, getting an adequate amount of sleep

will be very beneficial for your brain and will help you function properly on the test day. Taking

periodic breaks from studying can help from getting overwhelmed or burned out. Exercise and

exposure to nature are also great remedies to reduce anxiety and release endorphins which helps

reduce stress and improve mental capacity.

In conclusion, practicing mindfulness and preparing yourself for tests are two proven

tactics that improve your performance if it is affected by anxiety. Being aware of how you

manage your time to study while dedicating time to take breaks will be helpful to stay calm in

stressful situations like Katyas. By keeping an open mind and believing in your capabilities, you
are able to perform your best by having a mind free of negative thoughts, which allows you to

focus on the goal of achieving high test scores.

Sources

Mavilidi, Myrto-Foteini, et al. “A Quick and Easy Strategy to Reduce Test Anxiety and Enhance

Test Performance.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, 11 Aug. 2014, https://web-s-

ebscohost-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0.

Putwain, David W., and Nathaniel P. von der Embse. “Cognitive–Behavioral Intervention for

Test Anxiety in Adolescent Students: Do Benefits Extend to School-Related Wellbeing

and Clinical Anxiety.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, 29 June 2020, https://web-p-

ebscohost-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0.