Test Anxiety

Stop.  Breathe. Think.

Why are my palms sweating? It feels like the pencil is jumping out of my hand

Look, even the pencil knows it’s hopeless

Stop. Breathe Think.

Come on. Snap out of it!

This test isn’t so bad, you studied hard

Stop. Breathe. Think.

It’s not as if this completely determines your future

Just which college will want you

Stop. Breathe. Think.

At least get your name down, Alyssa

Can’t you even fill in a couple of circular bubbles? Kindergarteners can do that

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Crap. I didn’t know there was an essay

Time to blabber about how great Abraham Lincoln is

Stop. Breathe. Think

You know, Abraham Lincoln was truly great- leading his country through a difficult time

Where would I stand on the issue of slavery if I was born then?

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Great, now ten minutes have been wasted.

Way to go, not even a full paragraph yet and your mind is wandering

Stop. Breathe Think.

Gosh, I’m so hungry

 I was so nervous this morning, I ran out the door without food

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Shoot. There’s only fifteen minutes left.

Come on, pencil, write me a good essay.

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Now on to math, that’s not so bad

I’ve taken Calculus. No bigs, I can handle this

Stop. Breathe Think.

Algebra!? I haven’t looked at that in years!

Crap. I’ve forgotten everything.

Stop. Breathe. Think.

No college is going to accept me, not even Community College

I’m a loser and I’m just going to end up working construction off the highway in the middle of summer

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Oh no. That’s three As in a row.

I got something wrong, I know I did. Nobody has three of the same answers in a row.

Stop. Breathe. Think.

No, those have to be right.

Man, what kind of sick person created this of test?

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Last section, come on, almost there

Just one more Reading section

Stop. Breathe. Think.

Ugh! These paragraphs are boring. Do these people want you to fail miserably

One can’t focus on these because of how stupid they are!

Stop. Breathe. Think.

What’re Mom and Dad going to say when I come out of this test a failure?

I’m going to have to live in their basement for the rest of my life!

 Stop. Breathe. Think.

They don’t even have a basement. Oh, but they’ll make one.

I’ll be able to come home after standing around a road waving people through construction

Stop. Breathe. Think.

What the heck is this word?!

They had to have made this one up themselves. This is a conspiracy.

Stop. Breathe. Think.

“Pencils down”

Sigh. Stretch. Leave.

ACT is in two weeks.