These were the people who were acing advanced placement courses in high school while I was struggling to remember my locker combination.

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The best way to stay in the "sweet spot, " Dr. Moser says, is to channel the anxiety into productive activity like studying and acing the test.

WSJ: Anxiety Can Bring Out the Best

Want more on acing the interview?

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"Acing" the race, or "getting through the race without demerits, " as Naess says, is the goal for a handful of purists at the championship each year -- a task much easier said than done given the myriad different, and often unexpected, obstacles along the way.

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