Should you be worried about exam anxiety?
The world today believes in nomenclatures- or for that matter, it might as well be said that it is more convenient to categorize the previously uncategorized behavior patterns- so as to address them, if needed. For instance, while ten years back it would have been difficult for a child to understand that when he was criticized for his looks in class or for that matter anywhere else, he was actually being body-shamed. However, today if he has sufficient exposure to the internet, the term body shaming can at least ring a bell if not be comprehended in its entirety as far as the child is concerned.
Does anything called exam anxiety really exist?
Similarly the child who grappled with his nerves during his examinations around ten or fifteen years back, would today, as a grown-up be able to understand that what he suffered from was Test Anxiety. There were times when your preparations were in perfect order and all it took to ruin your papers was your incapability of handling the pressure. Needless to say, the exam halls have a very different ambience from that of your classroom on regular days. It is the very gravity of the ambience which a few students are unable to handle.
Exam anxiety is triggered by several traits and it is important to educate yourself about these causes if you want to help your child get over the same (i.e. exam anxiety). Your child may be generally anxious in nature (things go on to assume extreme shape during pressure situations). He might be too much of a perfectionist – so much so, that even a single mistake in a paper might make him so upset that he goes on to under-perform in the remaining papers as well.
How to address it?
It is extremely important to adopt a systematic approach towards beating exam anxiety. Believe that it can be tackled efficiently with the right kind of efforts. The most effective way starts with studies itself. Set aside a lot of time to revise notes, essays and articles. See, if there’s need to condense notes to make them more exam-ready or not. At times, the fear of not being able to complete your paper on time remains the sole reason behind anxiety.
Have a detailed discussion with tutors regarding the answer outlines, identification of core material and perhaps to plan out a preparation schedule. Don’t sit for long hours reading, which may ultimately lead up to exam stress and boredom. If you have the habit of falling sick during exams do consider consulting a doctor.
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