“At this time of year, it is not unusual for pupils to experience peak levels of stress because of the nearing exams,” Dr Gillian Mooney of the Independent Institution of Education says, adding that, “it is important to remember that stress can be both motivating and managed.”
Mooney says adults should understand that what is stressful for one person, may not be stressful for another. She urges parents and caregivers to monitor how children feel about exams, as well as to help them prepare for it.
Negative stress may cause physical symptoms such as a headache or stomach cramps. Exam anxiety is a kind of stress that involves excessive worrying about exams, the fear of being evaluated and of the consequences of exams.
Exam stress can be easily managed by following these tips:
• Believe in yourself. If you have worked consistently since the beginning of the year, you should be fine.
• Don’t try to be perfect. Set realistic goals for yourself. Don’t aim for something like 100 per cent in an exam, when you usually get 70 per cent for that subject.
• Don’t keep your worries to yourself. Talk to your parents, friends or teachers about things that worry you. It will make you feel better and they may even be able to help.
• Keep things in perspective. Although exams may seem like the most important thing in your life right now, they’re only a small part of your school career and future. If you don’t do as well as expected, you can work hard during the next term and do better in the those exams.
• Tackle your problems before they trip you up. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask friends or a teacher about something you don’t understand. Go talk to them ahead of time.
• Make sure you have all of the correct information. Find out exactly what you need to study for the exam, how the teacher will be setting up the exam paper and when and where you’ll be writing the exam. Review past exam papers to see how the material is usually presented.
• Set up specific study times. Regular study sessions of about 50 minutes each, separated by 10 minute breaks are considered optimal.
• Plan for the exam. Arrive early, wear a watch or find out where the clock is and bring enough pens, pencils and other stationery.
• Stay healthy by eating nutritious meals, getting enough sleep and do some exercise.
• Avoid drinking coffee the night or morning before the exam. Also, dodge students who are stressed and talkative, don’t talk about the study material just before the exam.
