2.  Develop techniques that put you in control of your behavior  Recognize that you are valuable  Identify strengths and weaknesses  Become Empowered  Learn strategies to be fully in control at test time  Control stressful situations  Enhance concentration

3.  Illogical or negative thinking is self-destructive  “I will never pass this test!”  “I am good only if I pass a test”  “Everything I do is wrong!”  Positive thinking puts you in control  “I can pass this test “  “ I have power to do anything I want to!”  Arrest negative thoughts – Put in prison!  Replace with a positive thought  “I am working really hard to pass this test”  “I am in control of my attitude”

4.  What you think can be a self-fulfilling prophecy  What you tell yourself is what you end up thinking  Identify your pattern of talking to yourself  If you feel like a victim of circumstances, you will feel powerless  Learn to say “I can”; “I want”; “ I will”

5.  All of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious.  We are in control, whether we know it or not.  Aim high and do your best  We can be positive or negative, enthusiastic or dull, active or passive.

6.  The biggest difference between people is their attitudes.  For some, learning is enjoyable and exciting.  For others, learning is a drudgery.  For many, learning is just okay, something required on the road to a job. "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Abraham Lincoln

7.  Our present attitudes are habits, built from the feedback of parents, friends, society and self, that form our self-image and our world-image. These attitudes are maintained by the inner conversations we constantly have with ourselves, both consciously and subconsciously. The first step in changing our attitudes is to change our inner conversations.

8. One approach is called the three C's: Commitment Control Challenge. Commitment Make a positive commitment to yourself, to learning, work, family, friends, nature, and other worthwhile causes. Praise yourself and others. Dream of success. Be enthusiastic.

9. Control Keep your mind focused on important things. Set goals and priorities for what you think and do. Visualize to practice your actions. Develop a strategy for dealing with problems. Learn to relax. Enjoy successes. Be honest with yourself.

10. Challenge Be courageous. Change and improve each day. Do your best and don't look back. See learning and change as opportunities. Try new things. Consider several options. Meet new people. Ask lots of questions. Keep track of your mental and physical health. Be optimistic. Studies show that people with these characteristics are winners in good times and survivors in hard times.

11. "... people who begin consciously to modify their inner conversations and assumptions report an almost immediate improvement in their performance. Their energy increases and things seem to go better..." Commitment, control and challenge help build self-esteem and promote positive thinking.

12.  In every class, look for positive people to associate with.  In every lecture, look for one more interesting idea.  In every chapter, find one more concept important to you.  With every friend, explain a new idea you've just learned.  With every teacher, ask a question.  With yourself, keep a list of your goals, positive thoughts and actions.  Remember, you are what you think, you feel what you want.

13.  Break habit of shallow short breaths when anxious  Deep abdominal breathing promotes relaxation  PLACE HANDS OVER ABDOMEN  Exhale fully. Feel ribs and abdomen sink toward the middle of your body  Slowly inhale through nose, expanding your abdomen first and then chest while counting to four  Fully exhale slowly through mouth – abdomen first, then chest  Your muscles will now relax  Repeat several times.

14.  We connect a certain situation to a certain feeling  Desensitize the negative feeling by exposing yourself to the event in a controlled situation  Make of list of 5 things to fear from most scary to least scary  Imagine the least scary; use relaxation techniques  Repeat until you can spend 30 seconds there in a relaxed state  Move up the list to most scary  Or- Desensitize the negative feeling by giving yourself positive statements

15.  Tense and relax each muscle group until complete relaxation  Sit in comfortable position  Contract and relax slowly each muscle group from head to toes for 10 sec each  Tilt head to side one side, then other  Clench fist, upper arm and shoulder  Muscles relax when released  Take slow deep breath between each contraction  Pay attention and experience the relaxing sensation

16.  When we imagine a fearful event, our body responds as it did when we first experience it  This happens also when we imagine a pleasant event  Relax in a chair and imagine a happy event  Pay attention to the scenes, sounds, odors and movement  Pay attention to the control you feel

17.  The more prepared – the more confident  Even when you think you know the info, review again  One high risk student told me she carefully answered 300 questions every day for a month. At board time, she was as relaxed as she had been at home – and passed!

19.  Know your learning style  Visual  Auditory  Use three step approach to studying  Scan for content  Read in depth  Go over; recall what was learned  When practicing NCLEX style questions  Follow each step for each question  Stem identification  Reword question  Answer A – consider if wrong, correct or maybe correct  Benchmark each other answer to the first maybe correct answer  Does Maslow fit  Do you need to access or intervene  Is the answer positive or negative

20.  Do not cram  Get a good night’s sleep  Avoid stimulants like coffee; caffeine  Think positive  “I have prepared well for this test. I will do great!”  Know how to get to test site  Manage the supplies needed for the test  Wear layers in case too cold; too hot  Decide where to sit  Avoid door area  Have proper ID