KOCHI: With the exams drawing closer, students in High School and Higher Secondary sections of both state and CBSE syllabuses have begun burning the midnight oil. More than 15,000 students will appear for SSLC and CBSE X boards this year while an equal number will take the Plus Two and Class XII boards in Ernakulam district.
And as levels of stress are on an all-time high this time of the year, psychologists recommend both parents and students to stay calm. Mini Saji, a parent, says the days running up to the exams are extremely stressful for parents too. The tension is also taking a huge toll on the children. "Revisions, model exams and further revisions.I am afraid the children might snap from the stress," she said, while attributing high competition among students and schools as the reason.
Anya George, a class X student, says she constantly feels she has not completed her portions, no matter what. "I often feel I have left off some portion. So, I keep going through the chapters again and again. I have so far been systematically scoring above 90 percent, but all these exams were held by the school. However, for the boards, the question paper will be set by the board, which is why I am very worried," she said.
Dileep Varkey, a psychologist, however, cautions both the candidate and the parent. He is of the opinion that there is no need to magnify the importance of the boards. "How different are they from the other examinations? Students should prepare for it just as they would do for another examination," he said.
According to him, one of the most important things parents have to ensure is to project a positive attitude. "Don't rebuke the child nor discourage him or her. That will instill a negative thought. It will also give them a sense that they are not good for anything," he said. According to him, parents should leave their children alone and stop putting pressure on them. "Instead of using statements like 'you are good for nothing', try positive comments including 'You will get even better marks if you study a bit more'. These words will act as a positive prompter while getting the message through," he said. "Parents, in fact, should help in destressing the children by taking them out for a movie or doing something recreational with them. It might sound unorthodox but it works wonders," he said.
He is of the view that children should spend the last few days to the examinations without studying. "During revisions, children tend to feel they have left out important portions. When they go back to these chapters, they begin to think they have left out another portion. It gets confusing and hence last-minute revisions should be avoided," he said. Instead, try to relax and revise the facts and concepts in the mind, he says. "Correlate all the things that you have studied with incidents or events that are associated with them. This makes it easier to remember things that you have learnt. Also, don't discuss the question paper with teachers or friends," he said.
He tells students to divide the question paper into three categories. "Mark the easy questions as A, slightly tougher ones as B and very tough questions as C. Solve the easier questions first. The reason is psychological. When you attempt a set of questions which you find easy, the answers would probably be correct. So, the teacher who checks the answer paper, will assume the student will probably get the other answers right," he said.
Things to keep in mind
A few psychologists say children should spend the final days prior to exams without studying
Word of advise
Parents are advised to leave their children alone and stop putting unwanted pressure on them