Exam nerves
At school, we were taught how to sit exams, and there were many tips that we were given over the years.
I remember when I was sitting my exams at school, how I used to answer each of the questions and then go back to the beginning and check every one to see if I could improve the answers in any way. I noticed that there were some questions that I had not understood the first time around and I would have to completely re-write the answers.
These were usually the first three questions I had answered. Knowing this was likely to happen, I paid particular attention during those first three questions, but somehow I still misunderstood.
At least my routine of going back to the beginning to check all of the answers meant that I could correct them.
Looking back, I now realise that there had been a level of anxiety that had reduced after a short while. At the time, I did not feel nervous about the exam, I was simply in a hurry to get underway with it. Whatever the hurdle, it was preventing me from thinking clearly.
I now realise that people do not think clearly unless they are in a relaxed state. This inability to think clearly can occur whenever people have stressful situations, such as interviews, travel, first days at school, first days in a new job, trips to the dentist and hospital appointments.
For most people, this difficulty cannot be overcome, and they have to live with the consequences of a fuddled brain. However, there are times when your anxiety can be anticipated, and Resolution Magic can help.
If you are going to sit an exam, there is an exercise that can avoid the ‘brain-fuddle’.
Your subconscious stores all of your past experiences, and it uses these to prime you for any future event. If you have had a bad experience in an exam of any type in the past, it will influence you whenever you are in a similar situation. Similarly, if you have had a really good experience in a past exam, this will also influence you. If you have had both good and bad experiences, both will have influence, but guess which one will have the most influence! Yes, you have guessed it! The bad experiences far out-weigh the good ones.
This subconscious exercise increases the influence of a good past experience on your future exams. Can you remember a time when you remembered something well, something you had previously learnt? Perhaps you had learnt a poem and you recited it at school, remembering it right through. Perhaps you had learnt a period of history and were able to recall it really well in a written test. Or perhaps you remembered a section from a book you had studied in literature, a Shakespeare sonnet, or a paragraph from a favourite book. This could be the memory that you could use in the exercise.
However, if you have a memory of a time in the past when you did really well in an exam on your favourite subject, this would be a very good memory to use. Can you remember how you felt as you went into that exam? Can you remember sailing through the questions knowing the answers to every one, feeling wonderfully competent and so easily recalling all the knowledge you had previously learnt. If you have a memory like this, then use this memory in the exercise.
However, if you still have not recognised a time when you were doing something well that involved previous learning, perhaps you had acquired a skill, like learning to ride a bicycle. Can you remember the feeling when you were first able to pedal your bicycle while balancing? Perhaps you can remember showing off to your proud parents and siblings.
That would also be a good memory to use for the exercise. You might otherwise have had a similar good experience when you were learning to play the piano, or perform a play or a concert at school.
What you are looking for is a memory that contains a level of achievement that you strove to reach, and you were using that expertise, either in simply performing it, or in an exam. Just one good example will be enough. Use the best example of an accomplishment that you can find.
The recording takes you through a mental exercise for your subconscious that will take all of the feelings from the past good accomplishment and place them into your future exams. This will remove the brain-fuddle and allow you clear recall of all of your previously learnt material.
This will leave no room for the influence from any previous ‘bad’ events. However, if you have had some dreadful events in the past, events that have left you traumatised, then you may have to work with me to neutralise those events, one by one, otherwise they may still block your ability to think clearly in future stressful situations.
Resolution Magic can help you to feel confident whilst presenting, sitting exams, or attending an interview (see page 83 of the book on ‘presenting’). Using the programme for unwanted feelings you can reduce feeling of nervousness, fear, reluctance and ‘brain-freeze’ until they disappear, leaving you sparkling bright in centre-stage, or recalling effortlessly your previously-learnt material in an interview or an exam.
If you have the book:
Use ‘Rehearsals’ (page 65) before the event to prepare yourself for a confident performance.
Use Retrospective Rehearsals (page 65) on recent past events where you experienced unwanted feelings.
Use ‘Changing the Effects of Past Experiences’ to undo the damage of any individual uncomfortable experiences in the past.
If you do not have the book, (or even if you do), here are some recorded exercises to help you. The first one is great for written exams, and the second one is for any exam where you will be watched.
Listen to ‘Study & Remember’ (see CD/MP3 section) to improve your ability to remember work you have prepared.
Listen to ‘Practical Exam Confidence‘ CD/MP3 to improve your confidence while being watched – for instance in an interview, a driving test, a music exam, or a practical nursing exam.
SIRET Number 802 713 412 00012
disclaimer: results may vary. Please consult your GP – Resolution Magic can work along-side regular medicine.
Disclaimer: The book does not, and cannot, provide individual medical advice, but rather is for general informational purposes only. My advice is not intended to be a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by a qualified professional who is aware of your medical history and has had an opportunity to examine you.