We tell students to do their best before a big exam, but I wonder how many of them have ever been taught what to actually do when their heart starts racing five minutes before it begins. Knowledge matters, and so does knowing how to perform once the pressure shows up in the room with you. Here's what I'd want every student to know: 1. A racing heart before a test is just information, not a verdict. It tells you the moment matters, not that you're going to fail it. 2. Build a pre-performance routine that you can use repeatedly, instead of just randomly studying for hours. Also, when you do a few seconds of grounding exercises before the test starts, that can change how the first five minutes go. 3. Practice performing under pressure instead of just knowing the material. The two are different skills, and both deserve training. Knowing the material means just that: you know it. But when you practice under pressure, you not only know the information, but you can recall it under pressur...