Mostly students are terrified of exams and feel very nervous and stressful around them nearly all of the time. It may be the anxiety of major tests at school, college, or even simple quizzes, but in each and every case, the common thing is that the work to be done is felt as something too overwhelming. Nevertheless, the turning point in a person’s life when exam stress will not only bring an academic performance improvement but also emotional and physical strengthpeople.
What is Exam Stress?
Exam stress is a scenario where a student feels pressured, anxious, and nervous to the point of panic before an exam, during it, or even after it. There is a notion that some stress can be good as it can lead to one’s motivation to study and also a facilitation in being more alert, but if the stress level is too high, you will find it extremely difficult to concentrate, your mood will worsen, and on top of that, your health will be affected i.e., you may get a headache and suffer from insomnia.
Why Do Students Carry Exam Strees?
- They are scared of getting a bad score or even failing their exams.
- An over-expectation of the parents, teachers or even oneself.
- Under the influence of friends and making comparisons with them.
- Lack of self-confidence or a situation of being badly prepared.
- Trying to become perfect or focussing too much on beating others.
Effects of Exam Stress
Exam stress is the biggest nightmare of students, but it still has a very large and negative influence on different parts of students’ lives.
Mental Health: If a person is over-stressed, then this person may be very unfortunate and affected by anxiety, depression, anger or a feeling of being lost, among other symptoms of the mental state.
Physical Health: As stress is an unwelcome event for the body, the symptoms it is most often accompanied by are headache, stomach ache, insomnia, and a general feeling of weakness.
School Performance: Stressed people may lose their memory, be unable to concentrate and thus, get poor results in tests.
Personality Development: Students who are constantly stressed may become socially isolating, lose self-confidence, and even doubt their abilities.
New Ways to Handle Exam Stress
Practical behaviors will always make the managing of exam stress a matter of less effort. Simply put, even if you have never worked with them before, you can try these simple strategies:
Mindfulness and Deep Breathing: Take a few minutes out of your day for deep breathing or meditation. The method calms down the body, thus the anxiety is relieved.
Daily Success Journal: Every day write down one thing you have done – for example, mastering a difficult chapter – so that you will always be reminded of your progress.
Realistic Study Goals: Breaking the syllabus down into smaller parts. Rather than leaving everything for the last day, make daily or weekly plans to go through your syllabus.
Movement Breaks: Performing exercises, stretches, or simply taking a walk. Any physical activity will not only raise your mood but will also prepare your brain to better process and memorize the information.
Stay Connected: Get rid of your stress through friends, parents, or teachers and talk openly about your worries. In most cases, the sharing of one’s feelings makes the task of stress management less difficult.
Healthy Eating and Sleep: Eat according to a nutritious meal plan and sleep for as long as your body needs. Good sleep and nutrition are the sources of one’s focus and good mood during study sessions.
How Exam Stress Can Still Help You Grow
Exam stress, as a matter of fact, can still teach you a significant number of life lessons such as:
Resilience: The ability to rebound very quickly from a failure or a difficult test.
Time Management: It is completely about mastering the skills of daily planning and implementation of your routine.
Confidence: The more exam sessions you attend, the more you will be confident in your abilities.
Problem-Solving: A new topic or a new question is always a door to open your skills further.
When Additional Support Might Be Needed?
But, if this stressful situation is so overpowering that it disrupts your sleep, appetite, studying, or the enjoyment of time with friends, then you should consider talking to a counselor, teacher, or another adult whom you trust. There is nothing wrong with asking for help and what is even better, when you tell people about your problems, they will be in a better position to offer you the type of support that suits your situation the most.\
Conclusion
Exam stress is the hardest challenge that students will come across, however, it is not necessarily the one that will stop you. Within a very short time and simply by doing quick exercises, time management, and keeping a good mood, you will be able to deal with exam stress in a calm and brave manner. Remember that exam stress is only a brief moment in your life. Every single time you figure out a way to handle it, you become stronger and more capable of shaping a better future.
In case you are short of motivation, need some advice, or want a few handy tips, then Mentrovert is the place that will always support you. With the right mindset, you will be able to turn exam stress into a step towards your personal growth and success.
