Have you ever said anything negative to yourself before taking an exam? Thoughts are powerful — they can influence how you perform. To positively affect your performance, let’s practice reframing negative thoughts about exams into thoughts that reflect optimism, hope, personal responsibility, and empowerment.
Read each negative thought, and then use the categories provided to create a more positive thought. The next time a negative thought about an exam creeps into your mind, see if you can reframe it as a positive thought. An example is provided.
Example:
Negative thought: Pessimistic
“I don’t think I’ll do well on this exam.”
Positive thought: Optimistic
“This exam will be challenging, but I’ll study and do my best.”
1. Negative thought: Blame
“The instructor created an impossible exam!”
Positive thought: Ownership
2. Negative thought: Inability
“I’ll never be able to memorize all this material!”
Positive thought: Empowerment
3. Negative thought: Victim
“I don’t think the instructor likes me; he’ll probably give me a lower grade than everyone else.”
Positive thought: Master of my destiny
4. Negative thought: Hopeless
“I’m never going to pass this exam! Why even study?”
Positive thought: Hopeful
5. Negative thought: Crisis
“My life will be ruined if I flunk this test!”
Positive thought: Opportunity