Quote:
Originally Posted by (JD)
Yes, step back and evaluate this scenario. Try to stick to the facts, first.
You have GAD. This is making it impossible for you to do your best on tests under the situation given.
Speak to your professors, or first to the school counselor and set up ACCOMMODATIONS for test taking. You may need a separate time to take them, more time to take them, a different setting (room) or even have the questions verbally given to you along with being able to read them. All of these things can help a person ground himself and focus better.
Don't run away. Anxiety makes us want to do that...or as it is now explained: fight, flight, freeze... one of those. It appears if you don't take flight, your brain freezes in some way, making it difficult to finish tests well.
Put the onus onto your disorder, don't take it personally. If you are truly studying, and paying attention in class (and note if your GAD is causing difficulty in taking notes, ACCOMMODATIONS can also provide someone to take notes for you, so you have all the material to study) then changing the environment for testing should help you.
The main thing is to learn the information you want and need to know, right? Don't get caught in the trap of having to learn it in the same way other people do--- many of the greats learned in their own way.
Now, breathe... and see what you can change to help you. 
Finally, realize that a grade is only measuring what you were able to know and remember and access that particular time period. If it's passing, then remind yourself that it is good because you did your best for the time and situation. Once you've graduated few will point to a few test grades and say, but wait you can't be an adult because of those grades--- |
Thanks for the great advice!
I don't really have issues with test taking as I usually finish tests before others but I've definitely started having more issues with concentrating and starting assignments. It's also quite hard for me to go to class now but I don't think my teachers will really understand that (in fact I get the vibe that one of my teachers is really uncomfortable with me because of my mental disorders). I have 2 more weeks after the break until the beginning of semester 2 so hopefully I can pull through.
I guess you make quite a good point about putting the onus on the disorder and not myself. I never thought about it that way. I just kept blaming myself for the drop in grades and telling myself that I should be doing better considering I had experiences with these assignments last year but I guess last year I also wasn't as crippled with anxiety.
I remember my therapist telling me that her husband works at a big law firm and that in Canada, they don't really care what law school you go to. There's people who don't go to top universities, get into a sh!tty law school and still get hired. I keep telling myself, well why would you just want to float through life and not be the best that you can be and that it's better to keep as many doors open as possible. To me, the only way of doing that was to ensure that I had as much opportunities as possible by being successful. But I guess life isn't exactly fair and you're right that a few years from now, it's not going to matter that my marks were a few percent lower than I wanted. It's just the fear that I will regret this in the future that keeps dragging me back. The "what if?"
