Handling Exams Stress!!!!

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We are Sure that you will agree thatLearning something in general and studying
for an exam are two very different things.
The Very thought of board exams might make you feel
tense & stressed leading to anxiety
RELAX!
We are here to Help YOU
 The
key to handling exam stress is to
understand the process, do all you can,
and avoid worry
 Stressing out reduces your mental
capabilities and is counter-productive be confident in your abilities.
 If you're relaxed, the conscious and
subconscious parts of your mind interact
better, reducing the risk that you will
freeze up or make a mistake



Amit a class XII student is under tremendous pressure.
His cousin, Santosh scored 93 per cent in the a year
ago and Amit’s parents expect him to perform better
than Santosh
He isn't the only one in such a situation. With exam
dates nearing many find themselves weighed down
by expectations. Comparisons, parental expectations
and peer pressure are major concerns These concerns
bog us down, leading to examination stress
The term 'exam stress' can be defined as a feeling of
anxiety over one's performance in the exams, and
the results and reaction of parents and friends
Revision tips
Develop a timetable to monitor your progress. Make
sure you allocate adequate time for fun and
relaxation as well
 While revising a subject, practice writing. This
would be an actual simulation of the examination
itself. Plan your revision and complete it in time.
This will give you a sense of achievement and build
your confidence.
 While revising, vary subjects and their difficulty so
you don't get bored or disheartened. Set realistic
targets of what you can achieve in the time available

 Spend
as much time on recall as on reading.
Practice by writing answers as you would do in
the exam. This will help you remember the
important points when you answer each paper.
 Practice writing answers under exam conditions.
Take three hour tests, without a break in
between, preferably at the same time as that of
the exam. This will help your body clock adjust
to the examination time and conditions.
Time out
To prevent mental fatigue, take a short break as
soon as you notice your mind is losing
concentration. Stick to activities that do not break
your study continuum during these breaks. Avoid
television and loud music. You will then be able to
come back to your revision refreshed.
 It is important to relax. Your mind and body
perform at their best only if you get adequate rest.

 As
soon as you notice you are losing
concentration, take a short break – go for a
walk, talk to a positive friend or just listen
to some Soft music. This way you will feel
refreshed and able to concentrate on your
revision again.
 For
every hour or so that you work(Study),
take a 10 or 15 minute break. This gives your
brain a little rest and will help keep you
more focused when you are actually doing
work.
The power of positive thinking

Spend time with people who have a positive
effect. It will rub off on you.

Avoid negative thoughts, such as 'Everyone else
seems better organized, while I'm struggling.'
Challenge such thoughts with positive thinking;
for example, 'I have done well in exams before.'
Maintain a regular sleep pattern
A
regular seven hours of sleep is mandatory for
the body to function well. Also, sleep at a
regular time; Don’t alter your sleeping cycle
 It is not important whether you study late or get
up early, as long as you get into the habit of
being most alert at the same time as that of the
exam
 Try and stop working an hour before bedtime.
You will find it helpful to do some muscular
relaxation, which is particularly effective in
relieving stress
What to eat
 Food
rich in vitamins and proteins, such as
green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits, are a
must.
 The nutrients will help your brain stay sharp.
Avoid food with high fat content.
 Don't drink too much coffee, tea or fizzy drinks.
Caffeine will keep you up and reduce the
clarity of your thinking.
NO distractions
 Keep
all unimportant issues at bay.
 Right now, the board examinations should be
your only focus.
 Stay away from distractions that could cause
loss of concentration or unwanted anxiety.
 Stick to activities that do not break your study
continuum.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Practice deep breathing, meditation and yoga as
forms of relaxation. They help your body relax and
reduce stress. Alternately, take a brisk walk in fresh
air after your day's revision is over.
 If you believe in God, pray before you start
studying. Prayer will help you increase confidence
reduce your stress as well.

Believe in yourself
 You
are capable of scoring very good marks
in the board exam. You are destined to be a
success .Whatever you have achieved till
now is nothing comparing what you are going
to.
Don’t just worry – take action!
If you don't understand some of your subject , getting
stressed out won't help. Instead, take action by seeing
and talking to your teacher /facilitator or asking your
class mates to help you understand the problem. If you
don’t understand something that you have to know, then
go and ask questions! It does not make you look weak if
you do not know the answer. Don’t get stressed about
it.. Ask your tutor, or even your friends for help
Talk to a friend
 Confiding
in someone you trust and who will
listen and be supportive is a great way of
reducing stress and worry
 However exercise caution and be highly
judgmental in selecting this friend-You know
better
Don’t put yourself under too much pressure
 Aim
to do your best but recognize that if you
think that "anything less than -- % means I've
failed" then you are creating unnecessary
stress for yourself. Give your 100% and enjoy
the preparation for success.
Time is of the essence!
Boost your confidence and reduce any preexam stress by avoiding last minute cramming.
Leaving plenty of time to revise means you
know you have prepared well.
Play is as important as work.
Make sure that you build in time to have fun
and relax in between study sessions. Develop a
timetable so that you can track and monitor
your progress.
Another cuppa? Don't think so
 Don't
drink too much coffee, tea and fizzy
drinks; caffeine will make you feel 'keyed-up'
and make your thinking less clear.
A change is as good as a rest.

Experiment with several alternative revision
techniques so that revision is more fun and your
motivation to study is high.
 Index
cards, mind maps and notes
Use these to record key points
Incorporate pictures, color, highlighting
 Learning posters and visual material
 Use pattern, color, symbols and drawings
 Cover key points and topics
 Develop diagrams for your subject if relevant
 Pin them up where you’ll see them often
Key words, phrases, themes or concepts
Use the topic introductions, summaries, key
questions to discover what’s key in each block
Use two or three sentences to define, add
course example and diagram if relevant
 Summary
tables or grids
 Teach
someone
Teach a topic to a fellow student or a friend
Thinking it through is effective revision
Fill in the gaps in your knowledge as you
identify them
 Reinforce
your memory
As you end a revision session, review key
points
Review again regularly
Cue Cards
Note/cue cards are always handy for when you're
out and about. List definitions and rules you need
to know. Or write key words from which you can
fill in the gaps to tell the whole story.
 These are also (very!) handy for learning language
vocabulary. You can buy index cards in any good
newsagent that will be a convenient size once cut
in half, or buy ready made ones. Business cards
are also good. Once filled in, these cards will
allow you to reclaim time that would otherwise be
wasted - on the bus, in the queue at the
supermarket - there's no limit.

Mini Revision Booklet
 Take
the topic heading for your subject and a
few pieces of paper and then attempt to write
concise summaries containing key information
under each. This is a useful way to see what
you know and create a resource that is easy to
understand- HOWEVER….
Mini Revision Booklet
It is important that this is done completely
from memory towards the end of your
revision. Point you miss out can be put in an
appendix section points to remember. Don't
forget your not writing a book this should use
up no more than 10 A4 sheets (both sides)
Eat some ‘super foods’
 Eat
healthily and regularly; your brain will
benefit from the nutrients. Replace sweets and
sugar with ‘super foods’ such as berries,
bananas, nuts and broccoli. 'Super foods' can
help boost your concentration, energy and
mood.
Give your body a workout
(as well as your mind).
Regular moderate exercise such as a brisk
walk, swim or session in the gym will boost
your energy, clear your mind and help
reduce any feelings of stress.
 Prepare
an ideal time table and stick to it
 Watch for 3 days-If you are not able to
adhere to the time table ,rework on it
 Watch for 3 more days and rework if you still
have issues in adhering
 Idea is to make a time table which can be
followed , to bring in discipline to the
pattern of study
 The
place you study-
Should be
1-Comfortable
2-Away from distractions
3-Properly lighted
4-Airy
Ideally it should be a study table-where you can both read and
write and keep all referral materials and water bottle/glass
are in reach and the place should receive sufficient light to
avoid strain
(Avoid studying in the bed or sofa-Avoid lying down and
studying-we are preparing for board exams and not going
through a comic-right?)
 You
could be a Morning person or a late
night learner
 If you find stuck either way(if you feel
retention level has stagnated or reduced ,
try the extreme , you may be surprised as
this can work
 Wear
Comfortable
clothes
 Don’t wear tight , figure
hugging dress when you
are studying
 (Choose dress according
to climate)
 You
may have your must see-hooked on to
programmes-Now what?
 OK-as you can be restless and you too need
breaks-make your time table to fit in
these programmes
 However Rush to the study table during
commercials and try to run through the
previous 30 minute of learning
 Don’t bring your book while you watch TV
and attempt to browse during commercial
breaks-as it wont work
 It's
natural to feel some exam nerves prior to
starting the exam and that can be a positive
and motivating feeling. However, getting
excessively nervous is counterproductive as it
hinders your ability to think clearly.

The quickest and most effective way of
eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close
your eyes and take several long, slow deep
breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole
nervous system.
Blankety blank?
 If
your mind goes blank, don't panic - it just
makes it harder to recall information.
Instead, focus on slow, deep breathing for
about one minute.
 If you still can't remember the information
then move on to another question and
return to this question later
Don't spend time focusing where you think
you went wrong. Often we are our own
harshest critics. Congratulate yourself for
the things you did right, learn from the bits
where you know you could have done better
Stress actually is contagious. During exam
week, resist the urge to have a study session
with your super-tense friend, especially if
he/she’s complaining about all the work
(study)he/she has to do and breaking pencils
all over the place. His/her stress will only
add to your stress.
What you need to say no to are the people who
want to take up your time.
 There will probably be a friend who needs to
talk to you for hours about his/her life, or a late
night birthday any other), and if you say yes,
you’ll probably be tempted to blow off studying.
 Resist the urge. Say no to the distractions and be
selfish for few days. You want a good
Grade/Percentage, right?

 This
is actually our favorite tip of all, even
though it sounds kind of nuts.
 Imagine yourself taking the test and feeling
confident that you know all the information.
Picture getting all of the answers right, and
focus on how relaxed you feel. Then picture
the A grade on your test paper/mark sheet.
 When you imagine a happy ending, that’s
often what happens, because you make the
decisions that lead to it without even
realizing.
YOU MAY
WANT TO
ASK…???
 On
the day of exams, difficult as it may be,
you need to make sure you wake refreshed.
 Try to get a good night's sleep before. Try a
warm bath and a small carbohydrates snack
and maybe a biscuit and hot chocolate
before you go to bed.
 Set your alarm, and have a family member
agree to wake you so you don't worry.
 Have a small breakfast, your brain will work
better with food
 Like
any muscle and part of the body, your
hands will not get cramped if they get
exercise.
 Try practicing writing at home, or doing
some keyboard type exercises, or simple
stretching and relaxing.
 Again, a good diet and rest are important.
You are less likely to get cramped if you
have a drink and breakfast because a lack of
salt and sugar make cramps more likely.
Dehydration is also bad for cramps.





It's often difficult when you try to think about what
you might be asked because it's hard to focus.
During the exam, you need to take some deep
breaths, read the questions and then read them
again
One of the commonest mistakes is to misread the
question
If your mind goes blank, write some notes in the side
or on a spare sheet of paper, in a word association
manner to jog your memory about topics related to
the question.
If you really can't focus and you have the option,
change to a different question and then come back
Wish you all the Best for Your Exams.
We are sure that you will come out with flying
colors and do your
School, Teachers and Parents
Proud
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