Erika Nazarian

Professor Moore

HED 044

16 November 2017

Case Study Analysis

Like many college students, Katya is experiencing the effects of academic stress and the

role it takes in her personal life. In this case study, we are required to acknowledge the

importance of balancing school and stress, as well as providing solutions when preparing for a

crucial assignment or test. Katya is an average student who is maintaining a 3.0 GPA average to

achieve her scholarship. However, she is extremely stressed out to the point where she

experienced a panic attack while studying for her chemistry exam. She has a great deal of nerves

and anxiety due to the fact that her scholarship relies on her excelling on her exam. With all the

pressure she is facing, she must come up with mechanisms to cope with her fears of failing and

losing her scholarship.

After spending the majority of my life in school, I would be lying if I said I have not

experienced Katyas anxiety towards tests. As students, we have learned to accept the obstacles

that come with the journey of a building an education as long as it is for our successful careers.

Although we know of these difficulties, we spend our time focusing more on the stress built from

school rather than channeling that energy into learning how to prevent these stressors from

controlling our personal lives. Our self-esteem is questioned each and every single time we are

put to a test. It is our responsibility to have more faith in ourselves and believe we are capable of
doing anything we set our minds to. There have been many times I have spent studying and

ended up crying just to give myself a short break from having my face in the books. I have also

spend my days hanging out with my friends before an important exam as a form of distraction.

Overtime, I have come to realize I will never succeed if I spend my entire life full of distractions.

Once I have learned to accept my problem, I did my own research and found plenty of helpful

tips for the many of us who procrastinate. Instead of wasting my days prior to an exam, I would

make fun study dates out of them that would include friends and a lot of delicious desserts. Each

and every time I got an answer correct, I would take a bite out of my favorite treats. This

eventually became known as, Erikas study dates, and has become a regular activity my friends

and I do before our exams.

According to Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, the test anxiety is defined as a "state"

characterized by specific, persistent and severe symptoms of anxiety that some people feel under

various testing circumstances and which interfere with their performances (Strickland 2001). If I

were in Katyas situation, I would most likely seek professional help once it starts affecting my

health. Since Katya had a panic attack, that means it is most likely to happen again to her for her

future exams. One of the most helpful strategies I have come across during this research is

exercising. My issues with studying have always been my use of distractions. However, I have

found that there are some distractions, such as exercising, that could actually benefit students.

The positive relationship between exercise and mental health is the Distraction Hypothesis,

which postulates that exercise can serve as a useful distraction or time-out from stressful stimuli

and feelings (Daley, 2000). This mechanism can help students reduce their stress by focusing

their energy onto something else for the time being. Aerobic exercise has been repeatedly

successful in reducing anxiety levels in various populations, both clinical and non-clinical
(Richards, 2007). Another strategy I have found to be useful would be to find out what to expect

from your exam. This would include figuring out if your test is either multiple choice, an essay

question, true or false, etc. Once the student has recognized what to expect, they can start

practicing different versions of pretend tests at home that follow the format of the exam. They

are more likely to be prepared for the questions they will come across on the day of the exam. As

far as optimism goes, students are required to have some sort of positivity if they want to reach

their education goals. A way for students to include optimism into their lives, they would need to

fake their confidence until they make it. By adopting a positive mindset, this could eventually

become their reality.

In conclusion, this research has provided me with enough knowledge to figure out how to

help Katyas issues with test anxiety. The rush of nerves, stress, and anxiousness are all common

when starting out any given semester in school. To combat these feelings, it is important to

remember we are not alone in this process. There are millions of students across the world facing

the same academic stress just like us that impacts our well being. Another great way to form a

realistic approach while going into a new semester would be to go into it with a positive outlook.

With the use of schools resources, such as tutoring and counseling, it is refreshing to remember

there is always support for students.

Sterian, M., & Mocanu, M. (2013). TEST ANXIETY. Euromentor Journal, 4(3), 75-81.

Daley, A. J. (2002). Exercise Therapy and Mental Health in Clinical Populations: Is Exercise

Therapy a Worthwhile Intervention? Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 8, 262-270.

Richards, M. (2007). Effect of aerobic exercise on test anxiety (Order No. 3278538). Available

from ProQuest Central. (304849690).

How to Overcome Test Anxiety with 8 Tips and Tricks. (2016, July 13). Retrieved November

18, 2017, from [Link]