Many students experience test anxiety, a counselor told a NW audience Sept 9.
Brentom Jackson, a counselor as well as a yoga instructor, spoke with students about basic techniques and breathing exercises to deal with exam stress.
“Although I haven’t experienced test anxiety to the debilitating level some of the students I work with on a one-on-one basis have I do know what it is like to feel self-doubt and second-guess your abilities in the academic setting,” he said.
Jackson used to be a high school counselor, but after hearing college students say they didn’t get the same support in college as in high school, he quit and was hired at Austin Community College.
“Looking back at my undergrad experience, I know I could have possibly achieved more if I took advantage of workshops such as these and incorporated the skills into my life,” he said.
Jackson also demonstrated a few breathing techniques to help overcome test anxiety. The breathing exercises involved inhaling and exhaling either slow or fast in a variety of combinations. He also discussed the importance of the right amount of sleep and a decent meal and their effect on your testing performance.
“What led me to do this workshop is an understanding that anxiety whether related to testing, academic achievement or life in general is one of the main reasons college students give up on their dream and drop out of school,” he said.
—Brittany Mitchell
