It is natural for students to experience some mental stress during exam times. A mild level of anxiety often helps our body secrete more adrenaline, thereby increasing our alertness and concentration. However, excessive tension often weakens exam candidates both mentally and physically, adversely affecting their exam performance. Let’s explore some ways to keep exam fear within limits.
Using Study Leave Effectively
Choosing three or four different subjects or unrelated topics to study in a day helps maintain concentration throughout the day. Noting this in a concentration score sheet when distractions occur can help regain focus. Identifying places and times where concentration is highest and reserving them for more challenging subjects or lessons is effective. Keeping all necessary study materials handy before starting avoids breaks to search for things, which can disrupt focus.
Nutritious food is essential for the smooth functioning of the brain.
Taking a ten-minute "break" after fifty minutes of continuous study aids concentration, retention, and prevents mental fatigue. Engaging in relaxing activities during these breaks, like a short walk, improves blood circulation to the brain and other body parts, reducing stress hormones like norepinephrine and increasing endorphins. Listening to songs through earphones, watching light TV programs, or enjoying comedy clips are good ways to spend these breaks. It’s important to spend these intervals away from the study room and avoid worrying about studies. Assign someone to remind you when the break time ends.
The key is not how long one studies but whether enough time is allotted to parts requiring more attention. For example, a student interested in Chemistry, consistently scoring an A grade, might prefer studying Chemistry and topping the class. However, if they are scoring a C grade in another subject, dedicating more time to that subject would be more fruitful. Decide early in the study leave which topics to focus on and which lessons need more time.
Priorities should be set not only for the entire study leave period but also for each day. Completing the most essential parts first ensures that even if other sections are missed, the feeling of having accomplished nothing is avoided.
Rewarding oneself with longer breaks or small gifts after completing milestones like finishing a subject or a term’s lessons boosts confidence and reduces stress. Deciding to study non-stop for five or six days and then taking a full day off often backfires. Those who practice time management during study leave find it easier to adhere to schedules during exams.
Nutritious food is essential for the brain’s smooth functioning. During study leave, increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens, while avoiding oily snacks, canned foods, colas, and excessive tea or coffee.
Newly acquired knowledge deepens in our memory during the REM stage of sleep. Adenosine, a chemical that reduces concentration and alertness, accumulates during study sessions. The body clears adenosine during REM sleep. Hence, sleeping at least seven hours every night, especially during intensive study days, is crucial for optimal brain function.
Techniques to Retain What You Study
Research shows that people find it easiest to learn and remember things they are interested in, information that satisfies their curiosity, and facts related to their lives. Scientists have developed several study methods based on this principle, such as PQRST, SQ3R, and 3R. Let’s look at the key components of these methods.
Before starting a lesson, spend a minute or two skimming its outline, headings, subheadings, summary, and references. This helps grasp the content. Then, frame a few questions about each section and note them down. These questions could relate to expected exam questions, doubts the lesson might clarify, or how the information applies to daily life. Repeat this for each section or subsection.
After this, start reading the lesson. While reading each part, check if the prepared questions are answered or if new information emerges. Note these answers or mark them in the book. Since these answers satisfy curiosity, they are easier to recall later.
After finishing the lesson, set aside the book and questions. Slowly articulate the key points in your own words. Research shows that framing new knowledge in one’s own words helps it stick better. If speaking aloud isn’t feasible, jot down the points. Speaking aloud improves focus, and auditory input enhances memory. (Explaining newly learned concepts to friends or imaginary students is also helpful.)
After summarizing the key points, review the answers you noted earlier. This helps identify missed points or unclear sections, which can then be revisited.
Interconnected information is easier to remember. Relate newly learned information to prior knowledge and daily life. The first step is identifying the main idea of each lesson or section in your own words. Typically, each paragraph contains a main idea and supporting facts. Understanding the connections between main ideas and explanations, as well as between paragraphs, enhances comprehension.
While one side of our brain processes information through words, the other side does so through images and shapes.
While one side of our brain processes information through words, the other side does so through images and shapes. Hence, converting lessons or summaries into charts, diagrams, or flowcharts aids understanding.
A common complaint from parents during counseling sessions is, "No matter how much we tell him to read aloud, he won’t listen!" However, reading aloud slows down reading speed and offers no particular advantage.
Preparing to Handle Exam Hall Anxiety
Even with thorough preparation, some students experience palpitations and panic in the exam hall, leading to lower marks. To prevent such experiences, practice the following techniques during study leave.
Set aside some time daily for "mental rehearsal." Sit quietly, close your eyes, and visualize the exam hall. Imagine yourself progressing through the exam calmly, writing answers without tension. Visualize the sounds, the fan’s breeze, the smell of paper and ink—engaging all senses to make the experience vivid. Regular practice reduces the likelihood of panic during the actual exam.
Recall negative thoughts that arise in the exam hall ("I’m going to fail…", "Everyone will see me as a failure…") and practice controlling the resulting tension using relaxation techniques. This builds confidence in managing stress during exams. Prepare counterarguments for negative thoughts ("When I failed once before, no one thought less of me…", "This time, I’ve prepared much better…") to resist them during exams.
Excessive expectations from family or teachers can trigger exam fear. If others’ expectations feel unrealistic, openly discuss and address them. Base expectations on past performance and current preparation.
Avoid unnecessarily escalating tension by mistakenly believing that one exam is extremely critical for your future.
Ignoring doubts during study can gradually erode confidence. Seek help to clarify doubts promptly.
Avoid unnecessarily escalating tension by mistakenly believing that one exam is extremely critical for your future. Many who scored poorly or failed once or twice later achieved great positions. Remind yourself of past exams where you performed well despite pre-exam tension. Remember, no exam result is a perfect reflection of one’s true abilities—it only indicates how well you answered the questions. This helps dispel unfounded fears.
Simple Relaxation Techniques
If excessive exam fear disrupts your study time, try the following techniques to control panic and anxiety.
Close your eyes and take three or four slow, deep breaths. This increases oxygen flow to muscles and the brain, relaxing muscles and reducing mental strain. Then, visualize a place that brings you peace, engaging all senses to make the experience vivid, which calms the mind and body.
Diaphragmatic breathing (see image) is an easy technique anyone can practice. Wear loose clothing, lie down with legs stretched and two pillows under the knees, place one hand on the chest and the other on the abdomen. Inhale slowly through the nose, ensuring the chest hand doesn’t move while the abdomen hand rises. Then, purse your lips and exhale slowly through the mouth, ensuring the chest hand remains still while the abdomen hand lowers. Repeated diaphragmatic movement acts like a piston, significantly reducing stress.
If these techniques aren’t enough, try muscular relaxation. Tighten and slowly release muscles in the arms, legs, neck, and forehead. Recognizing early muscle tension due to stress and releasing it promptly helps manage mental strain. It’s advisable to practice muscular relaxation under the supervision of a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor.
Things to Note Just Before the Exam
Since coffee and tea can exacerbate tension symptoms, avoid them as much as possible.
Prepare exam materials in advance. Ensure a good night’s sleep before the exam. On the exam day and the night before, only review notes. Avoid learning new topics to prevent unnecessary tension. Never take an exam on an empty stomach. Since coffee and tea can exacerbate tension symptoms, avoid them as much as possible.
Last-minute cramming may make it hard to recall even well-studied material. Avoid classmates who are unprepared, overly curious about your preparation, or undermine your confidence. Quickly glance at formulas or diagrams you find hard to remember just before the exam—this leverages short-term memory to recall them during the test.
Suggestions for Writing Exams Well
Those unsure about which questions to attempt first can use the "three-round approach." Answer the easiest questions first, then those requiring some thought, and finally the toughest. After receiving the question paper, skim all questions, mark which round each belongs to, allocate approximate time per question or round, and begin. This approach boosts confidence, ensures better marks, and helps recall answers to difficult questions.
If stuck on a question, skip it and move to the next. If the answer comes to mind while writing others, jot it down briefly and elaborate later.
Occasionally changing your posture prevents tension. Since half marks for any question are easier to score than the other half, attempt all questions. Calculating potential marks or frequently checking the watch wastes time and increases tension. No extra marks are awarded for finishing early, so ignore peers leaving early.
When Anxiety Strikes During the Exam
If excessive stress arises before receiving the question paper, try the relaxation techniques mentioned earlier.
Wearing or holding comforting objects (religious symbols, small gifts from loved ones, etc.) and focusing on them during anxiety can calm the mind. If negative thoughts ("I’m going to fail…") recur, recall the counterarguments practiced during study leave. Remind yourself that some anxiety is normal and stems from the desire to perform well. Physical pain can override other emotions, so lightly pressing nails into your palm or snapping a rubber band around your wrist can temporarily relieve anxiety. Temporarily diverting attention (counting desks, recalling ten movies starring your favorite actor, etc.) can also help. Don’t view these exercises as time wasted—they enable you to write the rest of the exam peacefully.
After the Exam
Avoid comparing with others. Note which techniques helped control anxiety and which didn’t. Treat any success in managing exam fear as a positive sign. If tension remains uncontrollable despite following these suggestions, seek professional help.
(Published in the February 2011 issue of Arogyamangalam.)
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Image courtesy: Student Life