Rahul has a biology mid-term exam on Thursday. On the night before the exam, Rahul has a hard
time falling asleep and when he does, he has various nightmares about taking tests. The day of the
exam, Rahul decides not to eat anything, as he is afraid it will make his stomach upset. By the time he
arrives to class, Rahul is irritable and negative about the exam. The slightest noise seems to bother
him.
Rahul notices that his palms are sweaty and he is feeling nauseous, even though he hasn’t eaten
anything. He has to take the exam in order to pass the class so he begins to take the exam. Although
he studied for the exam the previous week and spent the night before cramming, he can’t seem to
recall any of the information. Rahul is suddenly drawing a complete blank. The ticking of the clock,
other students shifting in their chairs is becoming distracting; and Rahul’s frustration level is quickly
rising. Rahul says to himself, “If you can’t pass this exam, you might as well drop the course because
you are no good at biology”.
Rahul continues with the test, checking the clock constantly as he fears he is going to run out of time
because he arrived to class late. Other students are finishing their exams, he is the only student left.