The Acalanes Wellness Center works in collaboration with the Counseling Department and Health Office to expand existing support services for students. We offer student-centered support and education through mental health counseling, outreach, and consultation to promote well-being and academic success. In addition, we partner with community based organizations by bringing them to our campus to support the specific Wellness needs of our students.
Wellness Center
With AP exams starting next week, now is a great time to discuss test anxiety with your AHS student. Test anxiety is actually a form of performance anxiety which affects 25-40% of students. While it’s perfectly normal for a student to feel nervous before a test, test anxiety can be overwhelming and disrupt concentration and ability. Here are a couple steps you can take to support your student in combating their test anxiety:
Positive Self Talk can go a long way in altering one’s perception of their ability. Encourage your student to talk to themselves how they would talk to a friend or loved one experiencing the same anxiety. We are often our own worst critic and in many instances, we talk to ourselves more negatively than we would ever talk to someone else.
Acceptance of mistakes can also shift your student’s mindset around their ability. First, remind your student that trying their best is realistically the most they can do. Even when trying our absolute best, people still make mistakes. Second, model this behavior for your students. Are you shaming your student when their best effort isn’t “good enough” or beating yourself up when you make a mistake? Offer grace in the face of mistakes. We’re all human after all.
Teach test taking basics to your student so they might feel more confident when the time comes to take a test. Believe it or not, study skills and test taking strategies are learned. Just because students have experience taking tests, doesn’t mean they are equipped to do so successfully.
