Stress management during exams

Pratiksha Ghosh | NT

Bengaluru: “Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” —Hans Selye Handling stress can either be a make-or-break situation depending on how one handles it.

Schools and colleges do ensure that they have taught concepts mentioned in the textbook with utmost clarity but at times they forget that the most important thing to be taught to students is managing stress.

Stress management is one skill that sets the best stand out from the rest and helps in meeting life challenges.

A common thing in board exam toppers, apart from their sky- high scores, is the ability to manage exam stress effectively. The never-ending rat race to score the highest in examinations, constant pressure from parents, and unhealthy competition from peers may lead to the development of psychological disorders in students such as depression, anxiety, etc.

As per statistics, one student in every hour commits suicide in our country. This grave situation speaks volumes louder about the need to instil the skill of emotional intelligence and stress management in students.

There are various underlying causes behind the stress which students face at the time of examinations.

Some of those causes are low self-esteem, spending too much time on social media, chronic procrastination, inconsistency, poor time management skills, negative peers, and unhealthy comparisons by parents.

The most crucial cause is poor time management skills as the topper as well as the underperformer has the same twentyfour hours.

The one who can effectively manage time faces less stress as compared to the student who is not able to manage time. Students should have a habit of maintaining daily to-do lists as that reduces the load to remember tasks and helps in the breakdown of a huge chunk of the syllabus to be covered.

Important techniques of stress management are proper time management skills, having command over the syllabus, doing yoga and meditation to calm the mind, and having a growth mind-set.

It is the mind-set of an individual along with proper time management skills that help them crack all sorts of exams in a stress-free manner. Different students handle stress differently.

Mahi Shrivastav, a student of journalism in Bengaluru, living in a hostel, says, for instance, “I don’t take stress during exams. If I do so, I would spoil my papers. So, I calm myself with my favourite hobby - listening to music. I finish up my chores while listening to music, vibe with it and the stress goes out. Then I study with a calm mind. Moreover, my parents keep on cheering me up over the phone.”

But the likes of Fathima Alvi (name changed) gets anxious during exams. A student of first year in Bengaluru, Fathima tries meditation to relieve herself.

She says, “A silent prayer in the morning helps me. I recall what I have studied while taking a walk in my small garden at home. It relieves of my fear of doing badly in exams.