How to deal with exam stress?

Exams! Exams! Exams!

The minute the students hear the word examination or test, an adrenaline rush flushes in the mind of the students. They start to panic and start taking stress about the examination. If they have prepared well, they think about the results even before giving the exam. And if they haven’t prepared anything, then they stress about how they will prepare and what will be the result. However this isn’t the case with finishing school.

Well, to be frank, a little stress is essential in life for keeping us running; it can act as a motivational push that pressurizes us to do the work in a correct way and on time.

But we humans tend to overthink. We think about things, take the stress, and then don’t do anything significant about it. But what is the meaning of taking the stress and not doing anything about the particular situation? 

Let’s talk about some facts to give you a clear insight into the exam stress in students.

According to a study of 2000 college students conducted by stop procrastinating it was found that-

• Nearly 64% of students are worried that stress and anxiety are affecting performance, which will result in lower grades than expected. 
• Students responding to the survey stated that their stress and anxiety levels were high because they were struggling to cope with expectations and competition at college for results.
• 35% blamed this on the difficult job market for young people, citing worry about lack of job opportunity.
• 66% of students believe that their levels of stress are more significant than in the past.
• 45% blamed the overwhelming significance of their final exams, realizing that not performing well could affect the rest of their lives, closing doors to opportunity and missing out on job options or missing out on graduate schemes that higher grades would have secured.

Every student goes through stress and pressure during exam time, but some can cope up with it and fly with bright colors, and some are not able to handle the stressful situation and give up.

If you are one of those who find it challenging to cope up with the exam stress, then you have come up in the right place. In this article, I will be discussing some points which will help you to manage your exam stress.

• Remember the essential thing- breath

The one thing which we do every second is breathing, but we do not try to concentrate on it, to feel it, to enjoy it. Focus on your breath is one of the parts of mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness opens your mind to new perspectives and strengthens you to take control of your account, body, and emotions. It will be a good practice to follow if you are facing stress because of any situation or problems in life. This practice would help you to focus more, increase your concentration, relieve you from mental stress, and show you a path to a happy and successful life.

• Follow the daily schedule

Exams are coming near, but does that mean that you don’t follow your regular schedule? I have seen students studying late at night, waking up late in the morning, not having proper meals at the appropriate time, and not doing anything else but studying. Exams don’t mean that you should change your daily schedule. Your mind and body require certain things for the proper functioning, so you should not mismanage other activities during exams. Sleep for 8-9 hours in a day, eat healthy and appropriate meals on time, exercise half an hour daily.

• Set goals which can be achieved

Don’t fool yourself and act as a daydreamer. Everyone knows what they are capable of, so plan your study schedule as per your capability and concentrating ability. Know where you stand and how many hours you can put per day. Making a non-achievable schedule would just mess it up, and you won’t even be able to achieve a single goal in a day.

• Study in groups

When you can play and enjoy yourself with your peers, then why can’t you study with them. Studying with peers is said to be a useful study technique for good results. You can divide the topics amongst yourself, and then each person can study and explain those topics to other group members. This way will save everyone’s time and give effective results.

• Start believing

Most of the time, we go through a stressful situation because we do not find our capabilities. We doubt ourselves and thus end up stressing all time. You will get better results if you try to have confidence in yourself if you believe in yourself. Think of your achievements and not your failures.

• Talk, communicate, speak out

If you feel like you are not able to cope up with the stressful situation, then you might take the help of your friends, teachers, or any person that you trust. Share your thoughts and feelings with them. And if required, don’t be afraid to take professional help.