In a student’s life, the word that rings the bell for anxiousness and alarms them to pull up their socks is “examination”.  As the students often mull over their preparation both prior and during exams, examinations often unfold a phenomenon called the ‘exam anxiety’ or ‘exam fever’ that ostensibly clutches the hold of students.

WHAT IS THIS EXAM FEVER?

The exam fever or the exam anxiety can be defined as the behavioural tendency of a student that he/she naturally exhibits in order to deal with the mounted pressure that comes along with the exams. Often during the times of preparing for the exams or during the revision of their syllabus, a feeling of restlessness that reinforces the thoughts of giving up hope and leaves the preparation partial and all over the place.

Exam stress can prove to be detrimental, resulting in unfavourable consequences on the results as well as on the mental health of the student.

WHAT CAUSES THE PRE-EXAM STRESS?

It is very natural to develop exam anxiety and it is not disastrous as long as it does not hamper the student’s devotion and focus towards his/her studies or hinders his/her rate of performance anyhow which is the adverse situation. A lack of time management or procrastination plays a great deal in triggering the exam stress and its manifestation. In such instances, this phenomenon majorly owes to lack of before-hand practice of the subject. Exam stress is even observed in students with organised plan of study as a defensive mechanism to the pressure of reaping fruitful results of their sown efforts.

WHAT SHOULD BE A PARENT’S ROLE HERE?

Parents are the primary caregivers and the safe haven of their children. They can contribute in shaping their children’s frame of mind in multitudinous ways as they act as a primary source of socialisation in their daily lives. While preparing or revising for the examinations or during every exam, parents should motivate the child in order to encourage his/her dedication in the respective areas of the subject. At the same time, parents should realise the thin line of difference between motivating their child and further pressurising him/her to bag up the top position in the examinations because inclination towards the latter may add onto the pre-existing pressure to perform well and further gravitates the child into high levels of anxiousness.

IDENTIFYING THE SIGNS OF STRESS

To counterbalance and help the child cope with the exam stress, parents should be able to identify the signs or symptoms that point out to the emerging stress in a student’s life. The following are a few signs that a student with anxiety may display.

• Reduced engagement with peers and family and no indulgement in other activities.
• Change in the eating habits of the child, more often a loss in the appetite.
• Irregular sleeping pattern and tetchy behaviour.
• Facing difficulty in learning and lack of motivation.
• Feeling sick and having mood swings quite often.

If a child displays any of the above mentioned symptoms, the parents should intrude and engage in a healthy communication to boost the morale of the child. Parents’ guidance and support will boost their ability and help them infuse confidence within their children.

HOW CAN STUDENTS ELIMINATE THE STRESS?

• Time management is the prime key towards an efficient preparation. When one abides by the time table instead of choosing to procrastinate, the cumulative pressure is reduced and thus the possibility of exam fever to attack the student is also reduced.
• An adequate balance between study and other activities should be established. Continuously studying without taking time appropriate breaks can result in mental restlessness and inefficient performance and that prompts stress among students.
• Going by the famous saying “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.” Intake of green vegetables and fruits will take care of the nutritional value required by the student’s body. Intake of ample amount of water is also important to maintain the body temperature of the student. Inclusion of physical activities in the daily routine will help eliminating the stress and will foster concentration skills within the students.

Post exam stress can also take a toll on the students as they await for the results. Anticipation and regarding their report cards incites anxiousness amongst them. Having a positive approach towards one’s result and being optimistic about it is the right way to avoid any kind of stress that follows.

Exams are undoubtedly an important in a student’s life but it is very important to know that marks do not define one’s life. A student should always draw encouragement with whatever result they yield. A veracious saying by the famous speaker, Mr. Sandeep Maheshwari rightfully believes that “Wisdom is directly proportional to your power to overcome the failures and setbacks in life.” One should always learn from their mistakes and never let anything turn them down and keep moving forward in life.

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