Handling Exams Stress!!!!

1. Handling Exams Stress!!!!

2. Coping with Exam Stress We are Sure that you will agree that- Learning 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

3. Coping with Exam Stress • 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

4. Sounds Familiar? • 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

5. Few Tips 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

6. Few Tips-Cont… • 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.

7. Few Tips-Cont… 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.

8. Few Tips-cont… • 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.

9. Few Tips-cont… • 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.

10. Few Tips-Cont… 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.'

11. Few Tips-Cont… 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

12. Few Tips-Cont… 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.

13. Few Tips-Cont… 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.

14. Few Tips-Cont… 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.

15. Few Tips-Cont… 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.

16. Few Tips-Cont… 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

17. Few Tips-Cont… 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

18. Few Tips-Cont… 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.

19. Tips for the revision period: Time is of the essence! Boost your confidence and reduce any pre-exam stress by avoiding last minute cramming. Leaving plenty of time to revise means you know you have prepared well.

20. Tips for the revision period: 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.

21. Tips for the revision period: 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.

22. Tips for the revision period: 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.

23. Few Revision techniques • 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

24. Revision tips cont!! 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

25. Revision tips cont!! • 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

26. Revision tips cont!! • Reinforce your memory As you end a revision session, review key points Review again regularly

27. Revision tips cont!! 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.

28. Revision tips cont!! 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….

29. Revision tips cont!! 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)

30. Tips for the revision period: 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.

31. Tips for the revision period: 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.

32. Prepare a Time-Table • 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

33. Where to 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?)

34. Attempt changes and check • 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

35. Wear Comfortable clothes • Wear Comfortable clothes • Don’t wear tight , figure hugging dress when you are studying • (Choose dress according to climate)

36. TV-Villain or Friend? • 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

37. Tips for keeping calm during the exam: • 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.

38. Tips for keeping calm during the exam: • 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.

39. Tips for keeping calm during the exam: 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

40. Don’t dwell on past exams 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

41. Avoid stressful people 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.

42. Just say. • 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?

43. Visualize it all going 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.

44. YOU MAY WANT TO ASK…???

45. How do I relax on the day of the exam? • 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

46. When I try to write quickly for a long time I get bad cramps in my hands and I have to stop. I'm worried this will make me lose time in the test - what can I do? • 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.

47. when it's time for the exam to start my mind just goes blank .Actually I knew the answers before-What do I do here? • 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

48. 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