How to Handle Exam Stress

How to Deal With Exam Stress?

Examinations are an essential part of academics and one of the primary sources of stress to most students. Exams affect various students in different ways. For some students, exams are just like any other day. These students are usually well-revised and well-prepared. They have the ability and confidence to top any subject. However, these kinds of students are a rare breed.

What you mostly witness around are dull faces, filled with anxiety and going on with the syllabus over and over again. Even the word examinations give them jitters. To avoid this crippling anxiety, it is crucial that we deal with exams with a clearer mindset. In most cases, anxiety and stress are mostly in mind. With proper mental discipline, anyone can let go off their stress and approach towards the exams with a positive attitude.

Dream big and dare to fail. ~ Norman Vaughan

Some students who have regularly performed well in their previous exams are the one with the most stress. Even when they have the capability to ace any examination with their eyes closed, they find it difficult to perform. At times parents also influence the anxiety by putting undue pressure on students’ young minds.

Some of the significant causes of stress over examinations are:

• Overly high expectation
• Parents’ Pressure
• Feeling of competing with others
• Fear of failing
• Feeling less prepared

“Don’t think about tomorrow. Think about the task at hand.”

How to Beat Exam Stress?

Stressing out, only makes things worse. With this article, we want to share some proven techniques to beat exam stress. We believe that these tips will prepare you to handle exams in a calmer and happier frame of mind.

1. Take Care of yourself: Your topmost priority must be taking care of yourself. It is true that due to anxiety all you can think about, is the fear of failing your exams. This stress makes you go too hard on yourself. So, relax and give yourself a break. Practice basic self-care habits like eating healthy, getting good sleep and taking plenty of fluids. It’s a proven scientific fact that self-compassion reduces stress and improves the sense of happiness.
2. Take breaks: Study breaks are as crucial as revisions. When you prepare an intense exam time-table, ensure that you make some accommodation for breaks. Categorize them as short breaks and long breaks. Short breaks could range from 20-30 mins. Long breaks mean entirely getting away from study, for example, a dinner date with friends or playing your favourite sports, etc. When you spend some time away from books, you become more relaxed and refreshed.
3. Don’t compare: It is good to discuss study topics with friends and clear each other’s doubts. However, comparing yourself with your friends or classmates is wrong. Stress is contagious, especially during exam season. You don’t need other people’s stress, at least not during exams. Try and avoid negative comparisons and negative people.
4. Share your thoughts: Talk about your stress with friends, family, and teachers. Never keep things bottled-up inside yourself. For some students, the stress caused during exams can be a bit overwhelming. There are lots of people in your life who love and care about you. All you need is to open up and share your thoughts and fears. Most of the Parents Help During Exams in different ways.
5. Use positive quotes and affirmations: Repeating motivational quotes and positive lines is a healthy way of relaxing your fluctuating mind. The study shows that positive affirmations can help reduce stress levels during exams by reducing adrenaline levels.
6. Discuss with Your Tutor: If you are a student of our Online Tuition, you can discuss your stress with our tutors. All our tutors are excellent in communicating and motivating students during exams. They can also share their personal experience and the experience of other students about overcoming exam stress.
7. Some quick stress-buster tips for managing exam stress:
   • Clear up the clutter
   • Reduce sugar intake
   • Happy thoughts
   • Exercise and get some sunlight
   • Stay away from gadgets
   • Music therapy
   • Take a hot refreshing bath
   • Do not evaluate your answers with others
   • Make flexible exam timetables

“Don’t stress. Do your best. Forget the rest.”

Remember you are not alone, and it is natural to have these emotions. However, don’t let them overpower you. Listen to your teachers and guidance counselors and follow the tips we have shared in these articles. Our experience with the students from our various educational institutes has taught us a few things. Emotional well-being is far more important than any effort you put into acing your exams. If you are in the right frame of mind, then only you can give your best. So, we leave you with this quote from Amit Kalantri (Author: Wealth of words)

“School exams are memory tests, in real-world no one is going to stop you from referring a book to solve a problem.”