Feature

Managing Examination Tension

Amitava Basu

As examination draws close, most people feel tensed. However, the degree of fear differs:
* Some know from past experience that they perform well in examinations and look forward to being put to test
* Some are apprehensive because they know they have not done enough work
* Some know from past experience that their psyche does not match the hard drive needed for examinations

Occasionally, examination fear is expressed in an extreme manner like “If I fail in this examination, my life will not be worth living”.

Examination fear is irrational and unhelpful to the process of achievement. To manage examination well, it is important to stay at the peak of functioning capacity. Too much anxiety spoils performance. What is needed is a certain amount of adrenalin to take on the examination challenge. For this purpose, certain actions are important. These actions can be categorised into pre-examination actions and actions during examination.

Before Examination
* Plan revision of subjects by listing attainable targets and tick them off when completed
* Use active learning techniques such as summarising as you go along and asking yourself questions as you read
* Do not let your mind meander into catastrophic thoughts like “I cannot understand this theory” or “I am going to fail in this paper”
* Avoid going straight to bed after revision, otherwise you may have difficulty sleeping with thoughts rushing around your mind
* Avoid coffee late at night which may over-stimulate and increase feelings of anxiety
* Make time for fun, stay in touch with sympathetic friends and family
* Have someone to whom you can offload your problems and seek help

During Examination
* Be relaxed
* Read through the entire question paper first
* Decide which questions to answer and circle them
* Allocate time for answering each question
* Try to keep within the time you have allocated for each question

Conclusion
The fact is that you are able to perform well if you make the right kind of effort, think positively and stay relaxed. The sooner you do so, more easily you will be able to succeed in your examinations to your utmost satisfaction. So, cheer up, act propitiously and shed off the unfounded fear for examination.