With Friends Like These… Some people thrive on their own misery and are jealous if you don’t
feed on it, too. They want to suck you into their gloom, whether you
really know or care what’s happening.
These Anxiety Professionals are the people to avoid when you’re
preparing for an exam. “Oh, I’ll never learn all this stuff!” they cry.
You might not win points with Miss Manners by saying, “If you’d shut
up and study, you might!” But you can have the pleasure of thinking it—on your way to a quiet place to study alone.
Watch out for those “friends” who call you the night before the
exam to wail, “I just found out we have to know Chapter 12!” Don’t
fall into their trap. Instead of dialing 911, calmly remind them that the
printed sheet the professor passed out two weeks ago clearly says
that the test will cover Chapters 6 through 11. Then hang up, get
on with your life, and let them wring their hands all the way to the
bottom of the grading sheet. (Of course, if you don’t bother to check
what’s going to be on the test, a call like this will panic you...and waste
your time.)
How to Lower Your AQ (Anxiety Quotient) To come to terms with the “importance” of a test, read the follow-
ing list. Knowing the answers to as many of these questions as
possible will help reduce your anxiety:
1. What material will the exam cover?
2. How many total points are possible?
3. What will this exam count for?
4. How much time will I have to take the exam?
5. Where will the exam be held?
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6. What kinds of questions will be on the exam (matching,
multiple-choice, essay, true/false, and so forth)?
7. How many of each type of question will be on the exam?
