Exam Stress on Students...!!!

 

Dealing with Exam Stress

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In todays world exams are an unfortunate necessity. There is a lot of pressure on people to succeed that exam stress is a big part of many peoples lives. While this article can't make the exams go away it will hopefully help you to deal with some of the stress that you might be feeling and that in turn will allow you to focus on your exams.

What is Exam Stress?

Stress is natural part of being human. It's your body responding to changes in the world around you. It changes how your body works and puts your mind into different moods. When you're getting stressed about an exam - it just means that you really care about the result you will get. That can be a good thing if it pushes you into working extra hard as you try to get a good result. But it can be bad if you get too worried and the effects of the stress stop you doing well. When exams get too much, the stress can show in your body.

How to spot if you're stressed

You could be showing signs of stress if you're:

• feeling tired

• ache all over

• cry and feel sad

• have panic attacks

• have broken sleep

• suffer from stomach upsets

• have itchy skin rashes

• more likely to get colds and 'flu 

Reasons of mental stress

·         Competition
This is important factor that can result in exam stress because during that period there is more competition amongst students. This might be because the results of exam will play important rule in acceptance for higher levels of education. Higher exam results can also ensure prolonging or getting new scholarship and other potential consequences of failing exam or achieving lower scores than other students can create exam stress.

·         Negative Thinking

Be positive and avoid negative thinking.nNegative taughts that occur during exams are important factor that causes exam stress. You shouldn't think how difficult is the exam, how long is the study literature , how hard it is to acquire all the neccessary knowledge or how failure will result in less prosperous future. Start thinging on the positive side of the situation and evaluate what are the advantages of passing the exam not dissadvantages of failure. Only by positive thinking and focus on our goals we can reduce the pressure of exam stress and in some cases even prevent it from evolving.

·         Lack of Self Confidence

This is probably one of the main factors that cause exam stress as well as other types of stress. It means that student dosen't percive his skills and capabilities good enough to be able to pass the exam. Low Self Confidence comes from the subjective belief of person about who they are, this belief is usually result of fear that student has about the inability of passing the exam because the lack of knowledge. Therefore it is important for student to get higer self confidence and become imune to this important cause of exam stress.

Developing a positive mindset

It's human nature to be negative sometimes, but developing a positive mental attitude will help you do your best.

• Picture yourself getting a big fat A and visualize this over and over in vivid detail. If you maintain a positive, 'I can do it' attitude building up to your exams, your stress will be transformed into positive energy that can be harnessed to enhance your performance.

• View the exam as a time-bound project of 90 days. Look forward to the fun and challenge in store on completion.

• It’s only an exam! You’re not going to die. Your family will not get kidnapped and tortured if you fail. And there’s always the resit!

• An exam is simply an opportunity to show what you know.

• Exams are designed to HELP you, and provide your tutors/teachers with feedback so they can help you further.

• You will be just the same person before and after the exam. Exams don’t measure anything really important about you.

• You have had a number of successes already and have actually passed many exams - hold on to that. Focus on the positive aspects of the past rather than the negative ones, as this will spur you on to yet more successes.

Stopping negative thoughts

Use a mantra

Say some positive words to your self so that your mind can feel relax and concentrate on studies. 

“When There Is A Faith There Is No Fear”

Focus

Looking out of the window, noticing the number of people with red hair, counting the number of desks in each row... all help to distract your attention from anxious thoughts and keep your mind busy. Mental games such as making words out of another word or title, using alphabetical lists etc are all good forms of distraction.

Self-talking Methodology

In exam anxiety or panic we often give ourselves negative messages, 'I can't do this' 'I'm going to fail' 'I'm useless'. Try to consciously replace these with positive, encouraging thoughts: 'This is just anxiety, it can't harm me', 'Relax, concentrate, it's going to be OK', 'I'm getting there, nearly over'.

How can family and friends do to help?

A student who is under stress needs to know that they have the support of family and friends. It's important that others should be sensitive to the extra strain they may be under, and allow them the space and time to study. Regular meals, appropriate opportunities for relaxation, and emotional support are all going to help. So is offering plenty of positive feedback, which can demonstrate your confidence in their abilities.

Friends and family should keep distractions to a minimum and do as much as possible to ease any additional pressures. They may find it difficult not to let their own frustrations and anxieties about the outcome influence their responses, especially if it's meant putting limits on their own activities. It isn't for long.

If it does look as if the stress is getting too much for the person taking the exams, encouraging them to seek appropriate help could be vital. It's important to reassure them that this is a sign of strength, not weakness.