The Problem: Where It All Began . . .

You learned to be more tense than you need to be. That probably started early, perhaps in the second or third grade. You had a teacher who wanted to teach you how to take tests. So she gave you some practice. She announced on Monday that you would have a test on Friday. Then she reviewed a little with the class each day. You wanted to do well on the test for your teacher, for your parents, and for yourself. So when the day of the test came you got just a little "uptight" and anxious. But, of course, you passed it. Your teacher gave another test. Again you wanted to do well, so you got "psyched up" for the test, took it, and passed it. What were you learning about taking tests? You were learning that it is best to get psyched up, tense, and a little anxious to pass tests. In junior high and high school you got better at becoming a little anxious or tense whenever you had to perform. Perhaps it was taking tests, giving speeches, speaking up in class, or being in a play or musical group. And in college you got so good that now you’re a real pro at tensing yourself, at becoming tenser than you need to be to succeed in whatever you do. Your imagination also contributes. Recall when you took a speech course and just thought about or imagined yourself up in front of the class with all those faces looking up at you. You reacted before you ever got to class!

So How Does All This Affect Grades?
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