Beware the ides of March. It’s the time of the year when the nation is seized by a strange fever. No, it’s not dengue, swine flu or malaria. It’s much worse and affects teenagers mostly. You can know it from the symptoms—anxiety, irritation, forgetfulness and sleeplessness.
Yes, it’s exam fever. There is no escape from it even for the brightest. The stress is usually the result of high expectations from parents and teachers. Sometimes the pressure is internal as boys and girls work themselves into a bundle of nerves wondering whether they could meet everyone’s expectations.
Whatever, our very approach to exams is unrealistic. For corporate colleges, an exam is the time to compete with their rivals. In a bid to bag the first 10 ranks they end up coercing students to excel. There are instances of youngsters even taking the extreme step of ending their lives. Sometimes it is parents who force their kids to go the extra mile so that they can brag about their brilliance before others. In the process, some minds wear out while most rust.
One should be competitive, but not unrealistic in goals. Prove yourself to yourself, not to others. Exams aren’t everything. Whatever the result, one can still be successful in life. One can fail in mathematics and still be a good musician. One can score low in sciences and yet be a top-notch sportsman. What matters is the potential, not certificates.
On the eve of exams, most students try to mug up answers without bothering to understand the concepts. Result: their brain turns into a Bermuda Triangle. What goes in never comes out. For most it is mathematics that scares the daylight out of them. “Dear maths, why don’t you grow up and solve your problems. I am tired of solving them for you,” they would say. There was a friend of mine who had a take-it-easy attitude. During examinations, he would look up for inspiration, look down in desperation and look left and right for information. Today’s children would wish Mr Google was sitting right next to them in the exam hall.
How to beat the exam blues? From yoga to breathing exercises, experts suggest many things. But there isn’t a sure-fire mantra. Your mind will answer most questions if you let it relax and wait for the answer.
J S Ifthekhar
Email: jsifthekhar@gmail.com