Title: Calming Mantra

General Information about Item:

Informant Data:

The informant is from Berkeley, California. He lives with his two parents and their dog; his older sister moved out of the house after graduating from Dartmouth. The informant is of Irish and Peruvian heritage, and was raised in a deeply religious Catholic household. He is 22 years old and is currently a senior at Dartmouth College pursuing a double degree in government and psychology.

Contextual Data:

Social Context: Due to the nature and content of the informant’s double major, he is often taking rigorous exams, writing in-class essays, and giving lengthy argumentative presentations. Taking exams or giving presentations under intense scrutiny can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety. The informant noticed that his test-day anxiety was beginning to get in the way of his ability to perform on exams and presentations, manifesting in a negative and busy mindset, and was psyching himself out before even starting the exam. By the fall of the informant’s junior year at Dartmouth, he was given a strategy by a friend to alleviate the anxiety that comes with such stressful situations.
Cultural Context: Allowing one’s mind to become burdened with worry when performance needs to be optimized can sabotage one’s ability to successfully give the best effort possible. Exams, in-class essays, and presentations all occur in relatively high-pressure environments where knowledge must be readily called upon and utilized to solve a problem or argue a case within a predetermined window of time, and their grades are often the most heavily weighted. Finding and maintaining a consistent strategy to combat anxiety in these situations is a crucial element in optimizing performance.

Item:

Before an exam, the informant recites a set of phrases he picked up to set his mind at ease so he can think more clearly. The informant believes that if he does not do this, he will not do as well on his exam. He states:
- There is nothing more I can do once the exam starts
- The focus is on putting forth my best effort
- Getting in my own head is only going to work against me

Informant’s Comments:

This may seem like a rather simple, or even silly, way of handling an exam, but I think it really helps me succeed.

Collector’s Comments:

Verbal encouragement can go a long way in order to create success. This reminds me of incantations even in a way.

Collector’s Name: Spencer Ross

Tags/Keywords:

Dartmouth Folklore Archive