What with California Standardized Tests and Advanced Placement Tests just around the corner, we started thinking of all the most bothersome things that occur during these exams – other than having to take a long, boring test, of course.
10. Hearing people tap on their desk – Even though tapping on a desk seems like a small and insignificant act, it can make you want to pull your hair out when you’re trying to concentrate on a test.
9. Hand cramping – We’re not sure how anyone could think that making AP students write for two hours straight is a good idea. It’s pretty much impossible to not get hand cramps when you have to write that much that fast.
8. Hearing obnoxious coughing – Even though people usually can’t help coughing, there’s always that one person who thinks it’s hilarious to make it sound like they’re coughing out a lung.
7. Falling asleep — The late-night cramming won’t really do you much good if you fall asleep during the exam. Make sure you don’t get too cozy in your seat or you’ll risk the chance of waking up to find that you only have five minutes left to write a whole essay.
6. Breaking your pencil — No one likes to be that one kid who has to get up and sharpen his/her pencil, effectively ruining everyone’s concentration.
5. Panicking or hyperventilating — Tick-tock, tick-tock… freaking out will only waste your time. Plus, it’s a little embarrassing. Take a deep breath, find perspective, and try to finish the test.
4. Having the urge to sneeze – This one puts you in a tough spot. You can go ahead and sneeze to make yourself feel better – but you’ll have to risk getting snot all over your scantron.
3. Getting a song stuck in your head — The worst part is that once it’s there, it’s pretty much impossible to get that annoyingly catchy song out of your head.
2. Have your tummy growl — Make sure to eat a good breakfast the morning of your exam — it can be pretty awkward when everyone can hear your stomach growl in a silent room full of test-takers.
1. Seeing people cheat – It’s not fun seeing people cheating on a test that you actually studied for. It may even tempt you to cheat as well…but we know that Commander readers are too classy to cheat.