How to cope with examination pressure

The period of examination is usually a time during which most students work the hardest, put in greater efforts in their studies and show greater commitment. This time is filled with anxiety and nervousness as many students work immensely towards good grades, resulting in great increase in stress levels which may not be in the best interest of the students. Although a little stress may be non-detrimental, over-stressing has a lot of negative impacts. For this reason, the following points intend to give tips towards proper exam stress management.

1. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

This is one of the basic things in achieving success in life. In order to be successful, a positive thinking is necessary as it translates into one’s activities. By believing in yourself, you develop an attitude in the frame of success. However, by failing to believe in yourself, you have already created a future in which you have already failed which could be terrible.

2. UNDERSTAND YOURSELF

Success stems up from one’s thought hence the need to pay great attention to one’s self in order to achieve it. In order to fully understand yourself, you must be truthful to yourself and avoid self-deceit. Accept your weaknesses and develop your areas of strength. By carrying out proper analysis, you should be able to deduce your best mode of study, time of study and place of study. This will put you in a closer position to a stress-free study.

3. PLAN YOUR STUDY

Proper planning is a major key to success and this works in close collaboration with the previously stated point. It is important to map out your study in a way that works well for you. Also, in study planning endeavor to allocate enough time to studying as this will aid in easing off a great part of your stress. Avoid postponing or planning study at a very close time to the exam as it results in cramming great workload into a limited time frame which is highly disadvantageous.

4. TAKE BREAKS

Studying is a highly brain-tasking activity as it uses a lot of brain power. For this reason, it is important to take breaks during the period of study in order to rest the brain. By taking breaks, the brain is prevented from “over-heating” which aids in increasing its efficiency and functioning. Breaks do not only help the brain but also the body as it offers you the opportunity to stretch out the muscles, preventing cramps.

5. EAT RIGHT

This is another vital point in the course of exam stress management. Food is the body’s greatest source of energy and energy is required for the proper execution of all activities, including studying. Therefore, in order to study properly, good nutrition is a factor that should not be ignored. During examination periods, one should endeavor to eat right and regularly in order to achieve greater results.

6. SLEEP WELL

Sleep is the most important way by which the body can achieve proper rest. Sleeping puts the entire body in a state of unconsciousness which helps it properly recover from the effects of the stress being put on it. It is common for people to keep sleepless nights during examinations but this is only advisable if such a person is nocturnal, rests in the day and work at night.

7. LET GO

This point entails management of post-exam stress. It is common for students to worry over a previously written exam and this may cause them to lose focus towards for the rest of the examination. Such worries should be steered clear off as they yield no results but only increase one’s stress level. It is important to understand that a bad exam does not make one a failure but it should be an opportunity to learn from the mistakes.

8. TRUST IN GOD

Of all the points, I consider this the most important. It is essential to put one’s trust in the most powerful being in whom he/she believes in. Putting God first in all things including studies is a key factor in achieving great success.