Heyy! Do you have any advices on doubting yourself and your answers during tests/exams? I am at uni, and the past two exams that I passed were questions and exercises that I had already done a lot of times, I knew the methods and everything but I doubt myself too much I hate it. I ended putting the right answer first but when I read again my paper, I looked at the answer and just doubted it until I made myself believe that it is wrong. And I changed it. So most of my mistakes come from this. I would have not felt so mad at myself and so horrible if those mistakes had came from actual misunderstandings in lessons/exercises. But those mistakes come from me doubting so hard myself and I do not realise it during the exam but right after which is making me think in circle. I do not really know what to do but yeah, sorry if it was too long and I hope it is understandable.
Btw, I love your blog so much, gives me a boost of motivation every time I come across on of your post ! 🤍✨️
hi!! so sorry for the late response dear but thank you so much for leaving this message for me
I used to struggle with this so much too, and frankly, there's no exact way to eliminate your doubts completely and immediately. however, there are ways to build up to the habit of not doubting yourself, and it tends to be much deeper than you just second guessing yourself on an exam.
one thing that I think helps out with this is learning to put some confidence in yourself. it can be very difficult, but starting now can not only help you approach exams more positively, but also everything else outside of academia that comes with the natural course of life.
as long as you study hard before your exams and *know* that you have put in your best efforts, the most you can do once you've memorized and practiced the material is believe in yourself. you've already put in the needed work to succeed, now you have to execute it!
don't stress yourself out before the exam or during it. keep a clear mind to make sure you maximize your chances of a high score. you can start by easing yourself into this mindset with habits *before* testing. study study study, find what method works best for you and continue to drill it until it sticks, but also take breaks in between to ensure the material really stays in your mind. get good sleep, encourage yourself, and accept the fact that no matter what score you get, it's not the end of the world. there are going to be many future opportunities for you to improve, as long as you are willing to continue motivating yourself. the key is to have faith in yourself.
if you find yourself struggling between choices, compare them: what answer is correctly worded? which answer matches what the question wants?
always go with your first instinct. my specific test taking strategy is to answer every single question on the exam as best as I can. I don't pause on one question and decide between different answers until *after* I answer all of the questions. if you feel hesitant about one question, pick what you feel like is the best option and move on to finish answering the others. time management is key because once you answer everything, you can spare time to go back and review the questions you weren't so sure about.
when it comes to deciding, the answer that you are most confident in is usually the correct one, so if you're second guessing things, weigh the two options and go with your gut instinct. don't panic, and don't get too anxious! know that you are not a failure even if you second guess and choose the wrong answer. room for improvement is always there, as long as you keep persisting and boosting yourself up.
let me know if this helps!
