With CBSE exams around the corner and other high schoolers gearing up for their last semester, exam time is always stressful for students, parents, and teachers. The following strategies can be helpful for everyone.
For Students - Your attitude towards your exams will directly affect your performance. The following tips can be helpful -
1. If you have listened, applied yourself, and worked this year, you will inherently know the answer to the question. Therefore do your best, and attempt your exam knowing that you will breathe, release, and let go of the outcome.
2. Have the perspective that education is a gift and only some are lucky enough to take the exams. Several children around the world would love to take the opportunity you have.
3. During the exam, try this breathing exercise for a few minutes - Close your eyes, sit up straight, do some deep breathing, and with every breath, imagine you are breathing in calm and breathing out the anxiety.
For Teachers - Exam time is a delicate moment, and teachers play a critical role. These are some of the tips that can help teachers –
1. Make sure students understand the exam format, requirements, and grading criteria and have clear and concise information.
2. Offering extra help for struggling students, such as after-school tutoring or review sessions, can be very helpful.
3. Teaching students effective study habits and providing strategies for studying and stress management are essential, and they should be taught these skills explicitly.
4. Foster a positive and supportive classroom environment that encourages students to ask questions and seek help when needed.
5. Provide students with encouragement and positive reinforcement to help boost their confidence.
For Parents - Parents play a vital role in providing emotional support during exam time. The following strategies can help parents –
1. Your positive and encouraging attitude can boost children's confidence.
2. Creating a stress-free environment at home by avoiding conflict, providing healthy meals, getting enough sleep, and minimising distractions are necessary to create a supportive environment at home.
3. Encourage your children to prioritise their tasks, create a study schedule, and help them stick to it.
4. Encourage students to take breaks and engage in physical activity, hobbies, or socialising. Taking small mental breaks is extremely important for children at this time.
5. Listen to your children's concerns and offer constructive solutions to help them cope with stress.
6. Help them maintain a healthy perspective and avoid overthinking or obsessing about exams.
7. Encourage children to care for themselves physically and emotionally through exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep.
It is good to help children remain focused on their studies, but at the same time, pressurising is harmful. In the end, no matter their grades, it does not represent who your child is, and one exam does not determine their future.
Massrat Shaikh
The writer is an educational psychologist
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