Blog By : Prof(Dr) Raj K Singh
काक चेष्टा, बको ध्यानं, स्वान निद्रा तथैव च ।
अल्पहारी, गृहत्यागी, विद्यार्थी पंच लक्षणं ॥
(Kak chesta bako dhyanam, shwan nidra tathaiwa cha
Alpahaari grihtyaagi ,Vidyarthi pancha lakshnam)
( The Five Qualities of a Student are :
kak chesta = be hardworking like a crow
bako dhyanam = focus like a crane
shwan nidra = sleep like a dog
alpahari = eat less
grahtyagi = chase discomfort)
Whenever examination season comes we always start getting indulged into the golden nostalgia of our student life. The examination time are full of excitement, stress, anxiety, fear, late night study, endless discussions, brainstorming, speedy memorizing the notes and books, solving of previous years questions, guessing prospective questions, struggling with the sleep and dreaming for future etc. etc.
Now those era of 60s,70s & 80s are not there . Education and Examination system has changed a lot. Mere passing in first division or with distinction is not relevant now. Division has been replaced by the struggling of percentage of marks in 90 plus marks . Coaching & Personal Tuition has increased the competition among themselves as well as the students and their marks. However the new career avenues has also been increased to a significant level. In this fast changing arena of education and students life the stress of examinations remains the same or even more than earlier time. The sad part is that sometimes the news of suicide by some students due to the extreme examination pressure comes which creates questions on our education and examination system. However, inspite of such complicated socio psychological situation we need to understand that the Examination Stress is inevitable. Only change has come that now this stress has started its journey in the students life from the nursery education till the higher education. The result is emergence of physical and mental issues like Blood Pressure, Anxiety. Depression and even diabetes at a very tender age of the students which is a very unfortunate situation.
Question comes what the students and parents should do now. In the senior classes of school and higher education the students may manage their stress to a certain level however the students at junior level of school education the parents has to play a very significent role in the stress management of students. This stress management issue by the parents becomes more challenging when they themselves are suffering from lot of stress in their own personal and professional life. Anyway, the career of the son and daughter of any parent is always crucial for them and they prioritize their children issues more than their own personal issues . Stress Management during the examination of an students comprises of the sum total of the stress emerges due to their Assignments, Tests , Quizzes , Year , Semester ,Trimester , Entrance or Job Related Competitive Examinations . In such situation there are few guidelines which the parents and students may follow to minimize the stress and manage the stress.
Signs and Symptoms of Exam Stress
- Physical Signs :
Physical Signs of stress in a student includes a fast heartbeat, tense muscles, headache, sweating, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth and difficulty sleeping.
- Behavioural Signs :
Behavioural signs of stress in a student includes fidgeting, nail biting, increased smoking, drinking or eating.
(c) Mental and Emotional Signs :
Mental and emotional signs include difficulty concentrating, racing
thoughts , “going blank,” worry, and uncontrolled feelings of fear, dread or
helplessness.
Reasons of Exam Stress
1. Lifestyle issues
- Inadequate sleep
- Poor or improper nutrition
- Stimulant use (e.g., caffeine, energy drinks etc.)
- Insufficient mental and physical exercise
- Not scheduling available time for study
2. Lack of Information
- Lack of knowledge of exam-attempting techniques
- Lack of proper academic information (e.g., course requirements, lecturers’ expectations, pattern of question paper , exam dates and exam location)
- Lack of practice of applying of stress reduction techniques while studying, before an exam and during an exam
3. Poor Study Style
- Inefficient studying (e.g., inconsistent course coverage, trying to over memorize the textbook, all-night studying)
- Ineffective studying (e.g., reading without understanding, cannot recall the material, not making study notes, not reviewing)
4. Psychological factors
- Feeling little or no control over the exam situation
- Negative thinking and self-criticism
- Irrational thinking and belief about exams and outcomes, for example:
“If I don’t pass, my family/boyfriend/girlfriend/friends will lose respect for me.” Or “I will never get a degree.”
- Irrational demands; for example:
“I have to get at least an A or I am worthless.”
Examinations Stress Management Strategies :
Following are few of the Examinations Stress Management Strategies which a student my apply to cope up with the stress of examinations .
Divide and Rule Formula :
As discussed earlier the stress is inevitable for a student however the stress in total is always perceived more than stress when treated separately. Students are having their own strength and weakness in different subjects, they should learn to divide their stress in proportion of their own strength and weakness in different subjects. This would nor be fair if they are more stressed in the subjects in which they are well enough. Although they should not be even over confident also. being Over Fearful and being Over Confident both are not good for any student. So break down the task into the smaller topics and in a proper manner in order to avoid the burden of subjects.
Structured Study Plan :
The study plan should not be in an haphazard manner. Student must remember that every subject is equally important so far as normal weightage of marks are concerned . So the study plan should be in such a manner that proper time should be allocated to every subject depending upon the nature of subject . For example the Maths or Numerical needs more practice time with proper understanding of their formula where subjects of Social Sciences needs more conceptual and factual understanding, explanation and elaboration of facts and figures. The study plan should be synchronized and in congruence adjusted with the overall daily time table of a student and contingencies.
Time Management :
If you fail to plan your time you are planning for your failure. As stated earlier the students structured study plan will lead to the effective time management. Allocate time to each and every activity of a student life and try to get strictly adhere with that. The most lethal enemy of the students time is uncontrolled use of social media. Always remember time is money so respect your time. Your entire daily time table is your most guiding factor for proper direction of study. Although a judicious and well disciplined break for relaxation and other important activities of day to day life is also equally important for your mental health which should be given due consideration in your time table.
Importance of Prioritizing :
Although in any person life everything is important however what make us successful is how we prioritize our daily activities in life. For any student their study and career building is the most prioritize things in their life. They should get rid of any such activity which is not adding value in their Study or Career Building. In the study also prioritize those topics which are more important , which requires more practice for indepth study in order to develop more command on the subject.
Making Study Notes :
Although now a days ready made notes are available in the market however this is advised that students should make their own notes based on the books and respective lectures of their teachers . Always remember that solely relaying on the text matter available through google or ChatGpt is not always reliable. In most of the cases either the matter is inappropriate , incomplete or incorrect . Concentrate on the last 5 Years Question Paper and make your comprehensive notes on the basis of that. Although your notes must cover the entire syllabus. Always make notes on the ruled paper and it should be hand written with the help of blue colour pen . This will help you in real examination time feeling and give you a practice of writing. Avoid making notes on Computer or Smart Phone because in the examination ultimately you have to write the paper and psychologically the handwritten notes are easy to remember.
Focused Approach :
The Solar Energy is spread every where however when it is focused through a magnifying glass it may burn a dry leaf. Through the Solar Panel it can create Solar Energy to generate electricity. In the similar way being a student your energy and approach should be very focused toward your career . Although you need to cover the entire syllabus however have a focused approach by solving the previous years question paper of at least last 5 years . This will give you an idea of the pattern of question paper and important part of the syllabus . You must solve these question papers in the specified time frame of the examination. Check your answer and update your Subject Notes accordingly so that there should not be a last minute hustle during the examination time.
Regular Class
Always attend your classes on regular basis ,whether its of your School or Coaching . This will make you disciplined because the discipline is an ultimate tool of success in anyone’s life. Don’t bunk the classes due to the peer pressure , although it seems to be very funny and entertaining for you in the beginning however in the long run this is going develop a bas habit in you and will make you escapist in your life. Don’t judge the class on the basis of interesting or boring. Always remember that your teacher has spent 3-4 hours of hard work for the preparation of your one lecture of 40-45 minutes. They are your teachers and not your entertainers. Every teacher and every subject has its own demand of nature of class room delivery. You should be more concerned with the knowledge you get in class through your teacher because the class you miss is actually the knowledge you miss which will never come back again in your life as a student.
Strengthening Mental Health by practicing Mindfulness, Deep Breathing, Yoga, Meditation and talking with your friends , siblings and relatives :
Consistent 24 Hours study is also not very good. This will develop the mental saturation and fatigueness. Practicing Mindfulness, Deep Breathing, Yoga, Meditation and Physical Exercises will help a student in the development of concentration and prevent them from the deviation and distractions. This will help you to live in the present moment and prevent you from the bitter experiences of your past life or performance. Life is to move ahead. This will increase your focus, physical and mental well being , reduce the stress , tension & anxiety by working on your central nervous system and feel you positive and creative
Prioritize Physical Health :
Healthy mind lives in the healthy body. Always do a for 30-45 minutes regular morning walk, physical exercise , yoga and meditation. Proper sleep of 6-8 Hours is must . You must take a balanced nutritional diet and avoid junk food. For the proper hydration of body always take a plenty of water in the quantity of 4-5 liters in several times per day. All these efforts will help your body in reducing the stress, improve your mood and to boost your energy level
Practice Active Study Techniques :
One must apply the active study techniques for the active recall . For that the student must do a regular practice to remember and reinforce their memories for proper understanding of the subject and take a proper measure to remove the drawbacks. Don’t forget practice makes man perfect. Continuous reviewing of the subject matter will help you in the recall of the subject and long term retention of the knowledge. Here the consistency is very important. The student must discuss the concepts of the subject among your friends . This will help you in the proper remembrance and understanding of the subject for each of you because the exchange of the knowledge always increases the level of knowledge. Always take the help of your teachers if you have any confusion related with any topic.
Be Positive , Be Creative , Be A Knowledge Seeker:
Always think positive and never give negative thought any space in your mind. Always enhance creativity in your personal and institutional life to satisfy your inner soul. Forget your past mistakes and move ahead for the future achievements. Don’t compare yourself with others. Your competition is only with yourself. You have to become better version of your self. Don’t hesitate to get knowledge from your teachers, friends, seniors or your elders. We are living in the era of Knowledge Economy and only our knowledge will make us successful.
How to cope with the Examination Night Pressure :
Always remember that examination is of your preparation you did before the examination and not just one night before the examination. Just get mentally relaxed and focus on the revision of your notes , previous years solved question paper and what your teacher has taught in your class.
What to do during the Examination :
With Very Calm and cool manner read the full paper and figure out which question you have prepared well . Start attempting those questions first . Always mark the Question Number and its Sub Questions number very clearly before each answer. For example if you are attempting question 2(a) properly write 2(a) before the answer and not just write ‘2’ or ‘a’. Try to attempt all the questions without leaving any question. Give weightage of time to each question depending upon their marks so that you may do justice with each question and attempt all the questions within the stipulated time frame.
Feedforward :
Learning is the most important aspects of a students life. Inspite of applying all the above techniques even a student may feel stressed during the examination. The student must honestly introspect and try to understand what went wrong and where they need further improvisation for the other forthcoming examinations.
Hope above techniques will help the students in coping up with their examination stress and get the desired success.
Wishing You All The Best !!
Blog By : Prof(Dr) Raj K Singh
(Author is a leading Educationist)
