Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Finding Zen and De-Stressing Test Prep for Students
Not many of you know that I was once an Actuarial Science student in the College of Business Administration. After two semesters I realized that my passions were elsewhere, but I still appreciate the classes I took in that time, particularly the Financial Math (ACTS440) course co-taught by Warren Luckner and Sue Vagts.
Like many disciplines in the College of Business, Actuarial Science has high-stakes tests to achieve professional status in the field, so there was a strong rationale to rely on similar high-stakes testing environments in the class. To help students prepare for each of these tests, the class session before was designated as a prep day where we could review materials and ask additional questions. At the end of each of these, Sue shared a few comments with the class that still stick with me over a decade later.
First, she would talk about her own experiences (both good and bad) taking high-stakes exams. These stories helped normalize the possibility of struggle and failure, reframing them as learning opportunities. They also acknowledged the innate shortcoming of high-stakes tests as an assessment metric (sometimes people just have off days). These also led into her second comment: Don’t sweat the small stuff, and…
It’s all small stuff. Students are already stressed about high-stakes testing environments which can inadvertently lead to late-night study sessions and coming to the test exhausted. Instead of amping it up and reiterating the importance of the test she stepped away from that and encouraged a more reasonable, humane approach. Maybe this approach doesn’t resonate for you as it did for me, but consider finding your own way to remind students of the perspective. No single test or class defines an academic career or life experience.
Finding Zen
Along with empathizing with students, reframing failure as a learning opportunity, and providing perspective, here are some other ideas to help students prepare for a test while appropriately managing stress:
- Discuss the value of a reasonable study schedule: This should be done several weeks before the test, even at the start of the class, so students don’t feel that they’re cramming. Keep in mind that full-time students have competing interests so an “ideal” study schedule may not be realistic for everyone in every course.
- Leverage peer teaching: Especially in a test-prep setting, the student body already has been provided the requisite knowledge. Encourage them to help one another solve problems. Peers will often explain processes differently (in more recently learned, novice manner) than the instructor (speaking from an expertise position) which can make concepts easier to grasp (getting past the “curse of knowledge”).
- Provide multiple opportunities for self-assessment: High-stakes exams are an inevitability in modern education, but we can make them less stressful by giving students similar opportunities to prove their comprehension to themselves in a low-stakes environment. Not only will it raise their confidence, but it will help them remember what they have learned.
- Celebrate successes and provide constructive feedback: Many academics often find themselves in situations where they have to scrutinize theories and processes for validity. That’s great, but don’t forget to celebrate progress with your students or they may not recognize the value of their own accomplishments. Make sure that when you provide feedback it provides a clear route forward.
This list is by no means exhaustive and I would love to hear some of the other things that are being done across the college. What strategies do you use to prepare students for successful assessments? How does assessment factor into the broader picture of your class? Do you have any fun traditions that you share with your students either before or after tests to maintain a positive culture?
