Board Exam Stress? Tips for Students and Parents

Stressed students, overworked teachers and worried parents – It’s that time of the year again! With the exam season approaching in schools, there is a certain frenzy that develops around it and more so for those taking the dreaded board exams. Exams and evaluations have always been associated with fear and apprehension. However, they are a reality of our schooling and provide only a glimpse of the competition we are yet to experience ahead in life.

One of the many skills a student learns during his/her schooling is the ability to manage examination stress. Being a mental health professional, I have regularly come in contact with distressed parents and students troubled by deficits in preparation, increasing anxiety and dwindling scores.

Each individual experiences stress differently and hence there are multiple kinds of reactions to stress we see around ourselves. One child may experience headaches, another may experience irritability or sadness of mood and another may find it difficult to concentrate or pay attention to the studies. However, they all may be stressed! Excessive stress affects us physically, psychologically, emotionally and even reduces our ability to use our mental capacities to the fullest. Hence, it also needs to be managed accordingly. There are multiple ways of managing and reducing experiences of stress.

With barely two weeks to go, here are a few things students and parents can keep in mind and practice.

For the students…

1. Quality over Quantity: Studying for long hours at a stretch may not be very helpful. Our mind tires and boredom sets in, hence we spend most of our energy just trying to focus. Instead, try to cover smaller chunks of study material at one time.

2. Take regular breaks: The idea is to break the monotony. Make sure you take regular timed breaks from your study time. Scientific studies have repeatedly found that regular physical exercise has a positive effect on mental health too. So, step out of the house, get some fresh air and go out for a jog, walk or just a stroll.

3. Eat and sleep adequately: Keeping busy with exam preparation may cause you to neglect your diet and reduce your sleeping time. If you are not well rested or eating adequately, your mind will not function at its best. Some students stay awake the entire night and study and prefer to sleep most part of the day. Many take caffeinated drinks to forcefully keep themselves awake. However, this is not very helpful in the long run. It is always advisable to regulate your sleep and wake time prior to exams. So that you feel fresh in the mornings and are not lethargic during the exam due to staying awake the whole night.

4. Time Management: While preparing for exams it is important to work with a time line for yourself so you can cover the course work comfortably. With only a few more days left for the exams, it is helpful to know your strong and weak areas and assign time for study portions accordingly.

5. Frequent quick revisions: By now you must have understood how you tend to memorize things. Do you use acronyms, concise notes, rote learning, drawing associations or diagrammatic representations? Whatever your style may be, keep time in your schedule for ‘quick’ revision of what you may have read at frequent intervals. This helps to concretize the information learnt and fills memory gaps.

6. Share your concerns: If you are feeling particularly troubled or worried about anything it is always better to share them. Talk to your parents, mentors or a professional if the need arises.

7. Get regular feedback: Stay in touch with your teachers. It is always a good idea to have regular feedback sessions of assessments and solved question papers. These will also allow you to identify your strengths and areas where you may make frequent mistakes.

8. Build the right attitude: Last but not the least, while you work hard, always remind yourself that exams and results are not the end of it all. These are all a part of the many things you will do in your life. Look around yourself, everyone may not be a 90% achiever but everyone finds his or her place in this world. The idea is to do the best to your capability and not worry about the rest.

For the Parents…

1. Be aware of signs and symptoms: Children may be worried and anxious about exams, which is natural to a certain extent. But as parents you must look out and be aware of any such anxieties becoming exaggerated. If your child has not been sleeping well for nights, gets easily irritable, cries often, stays alone and quiet, blames self and expresses low self confidence, gets excessively anxious, has been falling ill frequently or has been showing any other such odd behavior, please talk to a professional about it.

2. Encourage not nag: Constantly being after children to study does not work. In fact, it may make them avoid studying even more or worse they may sit at their table pretending to read. Don’t try to plan their schedule for them. A better approach is to discuss their plan, motivate them, talk to them regularly about any concerns and most importantly provide them with a conducive/ tension free environment at home to study.

3. Attitude matters: The way parents approach and understand a situation is what children easily learn and emulate. Hence, the attitude parents have about exams plays a very crucial role. Examinations must be viewed as just another thing they must do in their life, not the epicenter of it.

4. Each child is unique: Just like not every child is a good dancer or an artist, not every child scores a 90%. Hence making comparisons with other children is not helpful. Each child has his/her own unique abilities and interests. As parents, you must promote their interests and also help them in identifying and working on their weaknesses. Let your children know that you are with them and appreciate them for their unique achievements.

5. Keep communication open: It is always a good idea to keep in touch with the school faculty who are mentoring the student. Being aware of their feedback allows parents to have an open discussion with their children too.

Pallavi Tomar is a Clinical Psychologist currently practicing in Mumbai and is a supervisor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Know more at www.pallavitomar.com