Say bye to exam jitters

Does just thinking of exams send shivers down your spine?

People say “they are essential evils”. They are necessary since till now no other alternative method has been adopted universally.

Come EXAMS and many hearts skip a beat, students get anxious and spend sleepless nights. Not only students, many adults too suffer from exam phobia. They may be excellent at their work but when asked to prove their skills through an examination, often they falter showing their vulnerability towards exams and exam related stress.

Competition has become an inseparable part of our lives and it is the fear of this competition that leaves us feeling unhappy, paranoid and worried. The fear of being put to test can be quite stressful for many people. This affects them adversely and they fail to perform to the best of their ability.

However, some positive steps may help students cut out the stress. Here are some simple tips to help you overcome that needless fear of what’s called “exam fever”.

Many a time students are advised to prepare a Time Table and follow it regularly. However, very few follow this advice and as a result, a fortnight before the exams they find themselves in deep waters. In such a situation, it will be helpful if the student identifies which subjects/papers/topics are hard to deal with but are essential from the exam point of view. Every night just before going to sleep, you should go through those difficult topics and the next morning, revise them. This should be done everyday, till the exams commence. If this practice is followed for at least two weeks, there will be remarkable progress and you’ll gain confidence.

Students who do not regularly exercise or meditate are advised to bring about a slight change in their daily routine at least a month prior to their exams. Try to wake up as early as possible based on your sleeping habits. Thereafter, sit quietly for half an hour with your legs folded and your eyes closed. Forget everything and concentrate on your exams. Try to evaluate your position, how much you have retained, and how much you need to complete before D-day.  Then decide on the topics for the day. For half an hour, refrain from thinking of anything else but studies. This will serve a dual purpose.

First of all, for half an hour your focus remains on your exams only, serving the purpose of meditation, as meditation is nothing but keeping your focus on one particular thing and forgetting the rest. Many people find it hard to meditate since their mind is always thinking about multiple things at a time. They find it hard to concentrate on any one thing even for half an hour. Secondly, since you are thinking of your studies only, mentally you are devising a target which you intend to achieve on that day. This will help you to plan your studies daily.

Mock tests are indeed helpful, since practice makes perfect. Even if you are not taking any mock tests, you should try to simulate one. Spare some time between your studies and try to imagine the day of your exam. Think of all the necessary things you need to carry with you lke admit card, pen, pencils, erasers, geometrical instruments (if any) etc. Then imagine you are in the examination hall. You should be very careful while writing your Roll No./Registration No. on you answer sheets. Try to imagine all these things, and also the question paper pattern. If you are aware of the pattern, then try to imagine how you would be attempting the questions, which section would you start off with etc. Apart from these, also think of a situation wherein you would find a drastic change in the question pattern, or a sharp increase in the difficulty level of the paper. You must also imagine these types of adverse situations and what you would do if such a situation were to happen. Simulating these virtual situations in your mind makes you more tenacious and less vulnerable to harsh situations. Also you will know how to act if such a situation crops up.

Remember, there is no short cut to success. However, the tips listed above will surely help all students. More so, if they are followed in their true spirit for a month before exams commence. If followed regularly, the dividends will be yours.