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How to calm nerves before an oral?

ok so my french oral exam is coming up on the 7th i think and i'm fine with all my revision and everything.
the only problem is, before i go into an exam i have a sort of mini panic attack. like shaking and heavy breathing and everything. i sometimes even feel like i'm going to cry!
im not sure why because i normally know the stuff. (i got an A in my mock) i think its just the thought of having to answer questions and the role play.
i panic even just thinking about it!
and when i'm sitting outside the exam room looking at the role play my mind just goes blank and it takes me a few minutes just to gather my thoughts (and i really could use those extra few minutes!)
i really want to do well because i'm doing it for A-level.
so what i want to know is, how do you calm your nerves before you go into an oral?

i really really need advice!
Reply 1
revise the night before get an early night, relax on the day as in dont constantly check your work and what your going to say, If you've revised already then you'll be fine. and just view it as a conversation with your teacher in another language not some mountain that you'll never be able to climb. Just revise, relax and enjoy. good luck.
Give it.
Oral that is.
To me(?)
Please?

No but seriously, make sure you know the work well, relax directly before the exam and deep breathing really does help.
And know that if all goes impossibly badly, then exams really aren't the be-all-and-end-all of life.

Good luck, you'll do find :smile:
Reply 3
Keep revising your orals until the start. At least that helped me.
i heard that if you squeeze your hands or something..
you will feel relaxed and stuff.

kind of worked for me (:
Reply 5
Just think confidence...when i feel confident my french is superb (ha ha...i wish), but seriously, when I feel confident I perform well and confidently.
i just pretend that i dont care what hapenz --works v.well and i use it too much :s
Reply 7
feel confident and make sure you're in a good mood - well i managed that in my mock but not in the real thing!!

but honestly, i thought i did absolutly rubbish in the real speaking, totally freaked out and thought i had failed - i stuttered, said "uhh, urm" a lot and paused a bit and had a shakey voice

but the whole point is that i still mangaged to get an A* in my oral

so you'll do fine :smile:
Reply 8
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Reply 9
This happened to me, and I somehow managed to get over it :smile:
I dunno why, but before the exam I was shaking and all, but the moment I got in that tiny, dark, claustrophobic room, I kind of relaxed.
And the teacher made me feel confident as well.
Maybe you should try what themariii said, get something you can squeeze, it really helps! Or get a clip and start twisting it, or a piece of paper to destroy...
Just try not to think too much about it, it's just an exam, and by the next hour you'll have completely forgotten about it; at least, I did!
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