How does stress affect learning?

A little stress heightens your alertness and improves performance on complex tasks. However, as your stress exceeds a certain level, it starts to erode performance. This applies to both students and athletes and explains why it is important to learn to deal with high levels of stress.

How does stress do this?

Stress hormones influence your neural connections in the front of your brain, just behind your forehead, where your ability to reason, plan, problem-solve, regulate emotions and pay attention are located. These functions are important for academic success. How much stress is present will determine how well you function as a thinker.

Blair, C. (September/October 2012). Treating a toxin to learning. Scientific American Mind, 64-67.