KOCHI: At a time when exams are knocking at the door, it is quite common for students and parents to experience stress and anxiety. Following some tips could aid during this difficult time
Board examinations are a significant part of every student’s academic journey. Though this time of the year is stressful for students, the parents, too find it difficult. However, there are certain factors that both parties have to keep in mind while coping with exam stress.
As a parent, worrying about your children’s exam preparation should not end up pressurising them to perform well. Remember your child is already going through a difficult phase, adding more stress is not going to benefit anybody. This is not the time to give pressure. Instead, the days leading to the examinations should be about revisions and catching up on missed out portions. Creating opportunities and situations to study properly would aid your child during this period of anxiety and stress.
Stress can come from a variety of potential sources and can have myriad impacts on students. Most pressures originate due to unhealthy comparison. This has to be stopped. It is common to see students experiencing self-imposed pressure for academic achievements by comparing them with their peers. Similarly, performance anxiety is one such pressure. However, for some students, this helps them to take exams seriously and with more concentration. If this anxiety worsens, then the help of a mental health professional is required.
Apart from this, students also feel academic pressure when parents compare their children with others. This leads to frustration and subsequently affects one’s mood.
Instead of pondering about the final results, one must seek to increase competence by acquiring more knowledge. The effort must be faithful, sincere and honest. Such an approach helps students to enhance their confidence. In addition to this, forming a schedule that would allow students to follow a disciplined and strict routine would prove effective.
Try to create a schedule that can be followed daily. Set a fixed time for each activity, including, food, sleep, and physical exercise. Attending mock tests, practising writing, and solving previous year’s question papers within the stipulated examination time would also be useful.
These efforts would help reduce exam-related anxieties. Students can also start studying the subjects they are confident about and subsequently tackle tougher subjects.
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Author is consultant psychologist
SUT Hospital, T’Puram