How to Handle Exam Stress: My Personal Advice!

A wise man once said, “Life is the most difficult exam that many people fail because they try to copy others, not realizing that everyone has a different question paper.” In order to be successful in life, you have to make an attempt, if you never try, you will never know what mistakes you could possibly make in life.

How important are examinations in life? Don't we all ask ourselves this question at some point?

Examination stress causes a lot of emotional and mental trauma for students.

In the process of learning, examinations are an important part of our entire education system. They are necessary to test your knowledge and see if you grasped what was being taught in class.

Exams are an assessment of your knowledge and retention, and if you pay close attention, you will understand that examinations can pass very easily if you study on time. Examinations and the Three C's of our life

Three C's of our life

1. Choice

2. Chance

3. Change

They say: "You must make a choice to take a chance, or your life will never change.”

Albert Camus said, "Life is a sum of all your choices!", if you look at every decision you make in life, you will understand that life is a choice, these choices you make decide what the near future holds for you. For instance, if you choose not to study hard for your examination, you will make mistakes you could have avoided if you made the choice to study on time.

Every decision you make as a kid is a choice!

They say people make choices, then the choices make you. If you are a student reading this, remember you are making a conscious choice every time you decide to do something. If something is worth the effort, you will definitely earn the rewards.

Chances, "Life is a risk, if you don't take your chances, it could become a regret later". Take the risk and make a choice, every decision you take in this life is a risk, but some risks are necessary for you to grow.

For instance, if you are passionate about being a doctor, go study biology with all your heart. Pursue that risk, and go become a great doctor by making all the right choices.

"The only constant thing in life is, Change"... What is change? Change is everything we experience.

Before the pandemic, none of us knew what confinement is, or what social distancing really means. But, life taught us that it can change in a second, everything we knew before has evolved and changed us entirely.

Life is not a game of chess, every move cannot be calculated

If you look from a different perspective, no decision you make can change your life permanently. You always have the chance to make a change, do something different, or try something new.

They say, "If you take no chance, you will never know where life can take you". Quoting my favorite author, Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

If you are a student, take the road less travelled by.

Beat Exam Stress By Doing Something Different

With examinations come exam stress, and with stress, comes anxiety, and nothing good ever comes out of an anxious mind. We are human beings, it is normal to feel stressed and anxious.

But, remember the 3 c's of life, you have the chance to choose something different and create something new, these small steps can help you make a change. If you are tired of your current study routines, it is extremely important for you to try something new.

Here are some research-backed steps to fight examination stress:

• Make time to study

Try something new if your old schedules do not work! Make time to study, studying does not mean you read and memorizing to pass the examination. Make time to study in order to gain knowledge and perspective. Tweak your timetable, and make some notes where you feel you can improve more, schedule something new during or before those specific time zones. Experiment with your lifestyle, ensure you study only when you are completely in the zone!

• Take the right amount of breaks

One must always understand their attention span, some people have a longer attention span while others have a shorter one. Both are normal, advanced research done by scientists estimates of the attention span of healthy teenagers and adults ranges from 5 to 6 hours.

If you take the right amount of breaks, you will find yourself resetting your brain and making it easier to grasp whatever you are studying.

• Get enough sleep

A night of good sleep is therapeutic, it calms your muscles and helps you stay focused. Develop a good study habit, long hours on the table are not a way to study, even if you are capable of studying all night. Sleepless nights can cause sleep disorders and these can have a lasting impact on your future.

"Keep your electronics away from your bed"

You must ensure your internal body clock is well-tuned, this will help you to recover from any stress you felt the night before.

• Exercise!

A healthy mind in a healthy body, without good health, you will never be able to study well enough for your examination. Short breaks must include meditation or stretches, this helps regulate the blood flow and make you more alert and positive. Make sure your mornings start with some deep breathing exercises, join some yoga classes near you or, get yourself a gym trainer to assist you.

How To De-stress Before an Examination?

Examinations are important, but studying the wrong way and stressing yourself for them could have everlasting impacts. Remember, life is an ultimate examination, you are not writing the examination to pass, you are studying to gain knowledge that helps you build a safe future.

Take a BREAK, life will not go anywhere

Take a mental break from time to time, and understand that you are capable of big things in life and can always do well. Remember to make a study plan and stick to it. Before you start your exam prep, take time to be grateful for everything you have, close your eyes and think of a happy memory.

Positive thoughts and mindset are the most important pillars of growth. If you ever wish to have a growth mindset, it is possible only if you think positively and make progressive changes in your life, no matter how many mistakes you make in life. Life is incomplete without mistakes, mistakes are the best teachers, as long as you are willing to learn from them.

Express gratitude for everything, and remember to note down the things you are grateful for every morning. This gives you a sense of purpose in life, something to live for. Everything in life is an important page being written in your book, each day you write something new in it. Everything you are doing right now is worthy, it is valid, and it is necessary. Take time to appreciate yourself, you are wonderful!