Ask Doctoral Advising

This is the time of the quarter where learners across Capella’s four schools are about to begin their comprehensive examinations. As I have spoken with dozens of learners in recent weeks, a recurring theme I am hearing is that they are nervous. And, to all of them I say that a little nervousness is usually just fine.

Think about the times you have been nervous over the years. You might have been nervous when you took tests in both high school and college. Or when you took those standardized tests to get into college or graduate programs. Or when you stood on the free-throw line with less than a second on the clock and you needed to sink two free throws to tie the game and send it into overtime. To add to the pressure, the game was being played in the opponents’ gym. With a very large and partisan crowd. Or when you had your first date with someone you thought might be the partner of your dreams.

One way to ease some of that nervousness is to be as well prepared as you can. If you had not cracked a textbook, handed in an assignment or even attended class all quarter, you probably should be nervous because you are not prepared for that final test. Those who have been diligent, who have kept up with the reading, with the assignments, and who attended class are going to be much better prepared and likely to be a bit less nervous. The basketball player might spend extra time during each practice working on those free throws to make sure he or she has a better shot at draining them when the game is on the line. Spending time working on the fundamentals along the way helps to prepare you down the road. Understanding the process also helps to ease the anxiety. As for that first date, I am not sure what would help you get over that nervousness.

Another way to ease that nervousness is for learners to make sure they can pace themselves, just as they would if they ran the marathons Dr. Riskedal writes about. Learners would probably not be well served if they try to go at an all-out pace for the entire comps period. Nor should learners expect to complete them within an extremely compressed time frame. Instead, learners might find comprehensive exams more bearable if they break the overall task into doable chunks and chip away at each chunk.

Don’t forget to keep breathing throughout. Shake off the nerves with a couple of deep breaths that you slowly exhale. And most important, find excuses and reasons to laugh every day while you are completing those questions.