Managing exam stress

Spare a few minutes from your books ... read through William Bickerdike's tips. They just might make life easier

A s revision gathers pace ahead of June examinations, many students (and their parents) will start to experience stress in some form.

Stress is the body's natural response to a 'threatening' situation, and prepares you for what's to come by sharpening your senses, making you more alert and improving your focus.

All valuable assets when studying hard, and a key stimulus to concentration especially in the exam hall. But if left unchecked, stress can turn to panic surprisingly quickly. Sharpened senses turn to sleepless nights and small worries grow out of all proportion.

How to keep stress under control?

Here are some tips on stress management before, and during, your exams:

Plan ahead
By now your revision should be well underway, and you'll know where you need to focus your efforts. Schedule your revision according to the time you have left (taking the exam timetable into account) but don't leave those difficult subjects till last.

Give time to every subject (even those you feel confident about), which may mean you have to work longer each day.

Scheduling gives you control over your revision - you'll be much more relaxed if you know you've got enough time to revise everything.

Talk to your parents
Not surprisingly, parents can feel just as stressed as their children around exam time, but often don't know how best to help. They worry about children who are obviously stressed - and about those who don't seem stressed enough!

Reassure your parents that you are working (to stop stressful nagging) and tell them what they can do to support you - testing you for example, or making sure you have a quiet place to study.

If your parents' expectations are raising your stress levels, try to explain that this isn't helping and could, in fact, be counter-productive.

Don't work too hard
Stress and worry can make you work too hard, too long and too late into the night - which will, in turn, make you more stressed, and make your revision sessions less productive.

Relaxation is necessary to give your brain a chance to absorb and process information.

Regular short breaks will improve your study, and exercise and fresh air will refresh you most efficiently; so take a brisk walk or go for a swim.

If you've been staring at a computer screen or textbook, don't just go and watch TV or read a magazine - make sure you have a real change of scene.

Keep healthy
A study break can easily become a trip to the kitchen, rather than a trip to the park.

Students often use junk food, sugar and caffeine (whether in tea, coffee or cola) to keep themselves awake. This is fine occasionally but it's also important to also eat fresh, healthy food and drink plenty of water.

Although revision seems to be a fairly passive exercise, your brain is using up a lot of energy and needs to be regularly refuelled by a balanced diet, rather than by sugar and stimulants.

Learn to relax
If panic threatens to overwhelm you, stop and take a few deep breaths, perhaps closing your eyes and consciously tensing and relaxing your muscles, especially those around your shoulders and neck.

This is one of the oldest and best-known relaxation techniques, and it's so popular because you can do it anywhere - on the bus, at home and (most importantly) in the exam hall.

Think for yourself
Peer pressure, and peer anxiety can be another source of stress. Try not to listen to friends who boast about how much revision they've done, or to those who are panicking.

Although you can't avoid your friends in the run up to the exam, don't let them worry you unnecessarily. If you've scheduled your revision, and are on top of your studies then you should be fine.

Remember, the exam is a measure of your performance. If you do the best you can, then you can do no more and your final grade should reward you for all your hard work.

We say

"Sometimes it's because teachers are intimidating or because of a lack of clarity in questions."
- Fatima Mattar, Dubai Women's College
 
" We do exams and quizzes regularly; as long as I study I am confident. But projects scare me."
- Sumaya Ahmad, Dubai Women's College

"I get tensed even if I am prepared; I don't know what to expect."
- Nada Shuhail, Dubai Women's College

"If I am not prepared I get scared; otherwise I am ok with exams."
- Roda Saeed, Dubai Women's College

The writer is the Regional Manager Middle East and North Africa, University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)