Test Anxiety and Learning Differences

Most students are not happy to sit down and take an exam; however, the overwhelming feeling I get when I know a test is only days away is indescribable.  As defined in the dictionary, "Test anxiety is a combination of perceived physiological over-arousal, feelings of worry and dread, self-depreciating thoughts, tension, and somatic symptoms that occur during testing situations."

Warning: Serious girl talk is about to happen so if you are uncomfortable skip down to the next paragraph.  I'm a very regular girl. As far as my cycle is concerned, no stress or sickness can bump back or allow me to skip a period.  That being said, when a test comes around the day my cycle is supposed to begin or already has begun, it have literally stopped my period in it's tracks.  I know this may seem like over-sharing but any woman will be able to understand what a big deal that is.

From the time I was in third grade, I had problems succeeding in school.  Mainly with handing assignments in on-time, passing exams, and following rubrics for papers.  These may seem like signs of me being a lazy or careless student but I assure you, I was not.  I liked learning.  I like learning.  My brain does not always understand how to focus on current tasks or future lists if they are not written down in 100 places.  I could never explain it until I began looking up symptoms of adult learning disabilities (LD).  I hate that word.  Disability.  My ability or lack thereof has nothing to do with my ability to learn.  It has to do with my ability to succeed in this type of standardize schooling.  



At the end of the day, my academic adviser suggested that I get tested for adult learning "differences".  Ah, that's a better word.  Thus, I will be setting up an appointment sometime soon for that.  

The reason for this post is that, until now, I have never admitted that my struggles in school were not because I was lazy or dumb (as I often truly believe I am not as smart as average students), but that they are an underlying issue of a learning difference.  

I have an exam today that is worth a fifth of my grade.  I regret not getting tested prior to this test  because if I did require some special testing circumstances, I may score higher than I will now.  Regardless, I've studied the material, I feel confident (aside from testing anxiety) and I hope this test won't be as bad as my head makes it seem. Fingers crossed.