Thursday, August 30, 2012

Dealing with Test Anxiety

I don't know many people who like to take tests.  Testing comes with so much pressure and stress.  Stress to prove ourselves, to do well, to not let our teachers, supporters and others down.  Many times we hang so much on a test.  This pressure and stress can show its self in so many different ways.  During my time as a test administrator I have seen students nearly pass out from hyperventilating, I've seen the occasional test taker cry in the middle of a test.  During testing its not uncommon to hear someone swear or pray, the pulling of hair, the nervous tapping of a pencil, the violent erasing of an unwanted answer.  The following is a list of things you can do to help alleviate this test anxiety.
  • Arrive at your testing location early.  This will allow you to focus on the test and clear your mind.  If you are rushing to get to the test on time, your already anxious, and your blood pressure is up; these things will not help you during the test.  By arriving early, you can pick the seat you feel most comfortable with (if that is an option), dumping out the nonessential things in your mind at that moment.
  • Eat a nutritious meal or snack before testing.  By picking up some good food with some calories it will give you the strength and attention to do the test.  When you are hungry or feel that empty pit in your stomach you will not do as good during the test.
  • Get some sleep.  Don't burn the midnight oil cramming for the exam. Get to bed early so that way you get the sleep your brain needs.  With a fresh and rested brain, you will do better than if your brain was crammed full of information that is running on no rest.  Sleep recharges your brain like a battery.
  • Before testing write down your feelings about the test.  Get all your thoughts and feelings out on paper.  Whatever fears you may have about testing, put it on paper.  A study done by University of Chicago showed that students who did this exercise showed better scores than those who did not do it.

Monday, August 20, 2012

A brand new semester

We will have our first GED Test session for the 2012-2013 school year this week.  It's so exciting!  This semester's first GED Graduates will come from this week's testing.  I love getting those scores back from our scoring service.  I love seeing our students pass their tests and eventually graduate.  It's always a thrill working here and seeing the smile, the occasional tears, and the joy on the students' faces when they succeed.
At the end of the fall and spring semesters we hold a graduation ceremony.  This last August we had our last summer graduation that we will hold.  But it's always nice to see the students cross the stage and receive the recognition that they deserve.  You can see their family and friends cheer them on as they receive their diploma covers (the actual diploma is mailed to the recipient from Raleigh).
But that graduation, that passing score of anything over 2250 points should not be the end.  It should just be the beginning.  Having a GED Diploma is not enough in today's economy.  Employers are looking for skilled workers.  The GED Diploma is a door leading to better things, not an end.  At RCC we believe in our students.  So much so that we give them one free class in a continuing education class or a curriculum class for having finished their GED work with us.  Students can take anything with this voucher, from automotive to nursing, to photography to a computer literacy class.  Any class that we offer at RCC is open for this class.  While the GED will open the door to more options, at RCC we help our students take the next step.
During this Spring semester's curriculum graduation two students who earned their GED during my first semester here in Fall of 2009 walked across another stage, this time to accept their Associates Degree.  That was exciting!  They were moving on, moving forward to bigger and better things.  Things that would never have been possible if they didn't have their GED.  This last summer saw more of my graduates move on to receive their Associates as well.  And that tradition will continue.
When I see GED graduates out in town I always ask them what they are up to.  Some have found new employment, some have found better jobs, some are going to school as part of a certificate or degree program.  All of this is awesome.
At RCC we create opportunities that truly change lives.  If your life has been changed by being here at RCC we would love to hear your story. Maybe your words will help motivate another student out their to open that door to a world of opportunities that awaits those that earn their GED Diploma.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

In this Together

Great things are always happening here at RCC.  We believe in moving from going to great.  We are pleased with our progress but never satisfied.  We know we can always do better, and we keep moving.  When I say "we" I mean the whole family.  The instructors, the staff, the students, we're all in this together.  Sure that might sound over used, saying: we're all in this together.  But it's true.  Instead of thinking of it as a cliche, we should think of it as an axiom, a truth.  If the the school didn't exist where would students go for their education?  If there were no students, there would be no point in having a school with teachers and staff.
We are in this together, and now we will start yet another year.  How wonderful.