Exam time: Take it easy!

EXAM BLUES have set in. Beginning of any new year also ushers in the countdown for exams. And the stress takes its toll on the scholars every time. A trend seems to have set in of students and their parents going to counselors and psychiatrists to tackle exam-time blues.

EXAM BLUES have set in. Beginning of any new year also ushers in the countdown for exams. And the stress takes its toll on the scholars every time.
A trend seems to have set in of students and their parents going to counselors and psychiatrists to tackle exam-time blues.

HT Image

Psychiatrist Dr Piyush Chaturvedi, says, “With exam round the corner, students are facing stress bursts. Most students face problems like lack of concentration, anxiety symptoms, insecurity about future, fear, lack of self-confidence and insomnia or disturbed sleep. To treat students with any such problem, I usually do some amount of counseling and if need be prescribe medicine.”

Says Dr SC Gupta, “Another technique we use is ‘behaviour therapy’, in which we suggests to students methods and techniques through which they could modify thoughts. It is a useful technique.”

It is important, however, to know the kind of problems students face during or before the exams. “There is immense tension of under-performance mixed with fear of failure and lack of concentration. All this results in stress,” says Mayank, a student of class 12.

Another student states, “We often feel we are not able to retain anything we’ve learnt. Besides, there is a lot of peer pressure and expectations from parents, teachers and friends to perform well.”

But it is important to note that there are a number of ways to deal with stress that students should remember. Principal, Study Hall School, Urvashi Sahni, suggests, “There are a number of points that students taking exams should keep in mind. They should not let themselves get bogged down with anxiety. They should form groups for study because when you are studying in groups you are learning as well as teaching, which in turn is a good way of revision. Parents too should be supportive and not create hysteria among the students.”

Career Counselor Dr Amrita Das advises, “Students should realise that they have been studying for months and have taken tests and now the task is to retrieve that information. For this, they must stay calm. They should also realise that they have taken many exams in the past and have been successful, so there is no need to fear.” Further, she says, “One should not let previous results discourage you—identify your weak areas from previous exams and work on them.”

Dr Chaturvedi advises, “If students are facing any kind of stress-related problem, they should not hesitate to visit doctors. The doctors will give them the best possible counseling and medication, if necessary.”

But why forget that stress in right amounts work as a motivator! So, strike a balance and come out with flying colours. All the best!