How To Deal With Final Exam Anxiety

How To Deal With Final Exam Anxiety

If you’re reading this – chances are final exams are coming up, and you may or may not be freaking out. Final exams are a difficult period for law school students for a number of reasons. Not only do you have to engage in intensive study for multiple classes, but you also have to manage emotions. Anxiety, stress, pressure – they all have to be navigated when it comes to law school finals. However, for some students, the anxiety of upcoming final exams can be more a greater obstacle. We’re here to help you deal with the often-overwhelming anxiety that comes along with final exams. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite pieces of advice for dealing with final exam anxiety.

How To Deal With Final Exam Anxiety

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation has often been looked to as an incredibly beneficial method to reduce anxiety and promote a peaceful mindset. Put simply, mindfulness meditation is a practice that slows down racing thoughts and allows you to let go of negativity. As a result, your mind and body experience relaxation. Anxiety often thrives on creating “what if” scenarios in your mind – many of which are unlikely to occur. Mindfulness meditation emphasizes “the present” so your thoughts, feelings, and sensations can be accepted without judgment. In short, just sit with your thoughts and accept them without judgment. After some time, these thoughts, feelings, and sensations become less and less scary.

Conquer Your Pre-Test Routine

Having a pre-test routine is a great way to reduce final exam anxiety. What do we mean by a pre-test routine? What you do leading up to the test, which if left to the last minute, can result in unnecessary anxiety. For example, having your bag packed, your outfit picked out, the breakfast situation handled, and the car filled with gas. While these steps may seem minuscule at first, you’d be surprised at the anxiety reduction they offer to test-takers. Making the process leading up to the final exam as smooth as possible is key. By perfecting your pre-test routine, you’re allowing yourself to have control over a variety of different factors. The last thing you want is to wake up late, run out of gas, or forget your laptop!

Perspective Matters

While nobody wants to perform poorly on a final exam, it’s not the end of the world if you do. Everybody struggles at some point in their academic career. At the end of the day, it’s just a test. Nothing more and nothing less. Performing poorly on an exam does not define you as a person nor does it speak to your strengths and weaknesses. It is simply a snapshot of your performance in time. Performing poorly can be a learning experience. Your entire future doesn’t depend on the outcome of one exam, even if it seems like it at times. So, let these reminders serve as some perspective going into this round of law school final exams. You’ve got this!

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