How test anxiety affects U.S students
A student demonstrates one manifestation of test anxiety. Photo illustration by Jeremiah McBurrows
By Jeremiah McBurrows, Heritage High School, Frisco, Texas The room begins to fade. All that’s in view is the test in the near horizon. The very thought of being near that dreaded piece of paper turns his hands clammy. This is what Evan Whitaker, a rising junior at the University of Oklahoma, has going through his mind whenever he simply hears the mention of a test coming his way. Test anxiety is real, and for students like Whitaker, it’s a bigger issue than others may think. Test anxiety is not uncommon among U.S. students. In fact, around 33 percent of…
