Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

REDUCING ANXIETY FOR ASSESSMENTS 
Te frst step in reducing assessment or exam anxiety is know-
ing what is expected so that you can prepare. In the classic book 
How to Pass Exams
, the author, Fred Orr, provides a clear guide 
on relaxing and avoiding anxiety (Orr, 2020). However, he warns 

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172 Studying online 
that one of the reasons for nervousness is because preparation 
is left too late. Indeed, I can testify to this with my experience 
of students. Each term, I post the assessment in Week 1 on the 
VLE. Tat means that students can see what is expected of them 
in terms of assessment before they start studying. Tey know 
what they have to think about over the following weeks. Yet, every 
term, around a week before the assignment is due to be submitted, 
I’ll get students calling into my ofce to ask when will I be posting 
the instructions for the assignment. I have to tell them that the in-
structions have been online on the VLE for the previous couple of 
months. Some students appear to only think about the assessment 
when it is almost the date for submission. I also teach at the Open 
University, and on their modules, all the assignments for the year 
ahead are available for students from day one of the course. Tat 
means these students know what they have to think about for an 
assignment that might not be required for six or nine months 
ahead. However, some students tell me that they “don’t want to 
look” as assignments scare them. Te problem with that approach 
is that they have lost the opportunity to prepare properly by the 
time they get to the assessment. 
QUICK TIP: Take time to prepare thoroughly and understand 
precisely what is required for each assessment as soon as the 
information becomes available. 
For online students, there are two key areas of preparation: 
1. Understand what the assignment is asking you to do; what do 
you have to provide? 
2. Understand the technical requirements, such as fle type 
and size.