OVERCOMING EXAM PHOBIA

 Why some students suffer from examination phobia?
 What is examination phobia?
 Why some students are afraid of examination despite putting of their good efforts?
 Why some students refuse to take examination even after a good preparation?

             These are all the questions that are to be answered carefully, to understand the problem of examination fear.

During the days of examination many parents rush to doctors, counselors and psychiatrists for treatment for their children from examination phobia. Is it all essential for the parents to do this kind of exercise? It does not, if we know something about the logic behind examination.

                 Remember the story of Michel Angelo, the greatest painter of the world who has taken the greatest risk of correcting a color mix in one corner of the church when the queen was about to visit. He was as tired as he had no energy to lift the brush. But he went on to complete the work at a great risk. For whose sake? The answer is very simple. For his own satisfaction, was the reply.

The morale of the story is that anything we do is for our personal satisfaction. In the same way the present day students should understand that they can face success and the success is the goal of their life. They should believe the Biblical quotation “ faith can move mountains”.

Solve old papers: Collect old question papers and practice them to get away from the anxiety.

Focus on the final examination: 

A month or two before exam will not suffice for right preparation for the final examination. If you have trouble of concentration or your preparation for the examination here is a mantra. Prepare a time chart. Include all subjects. Shed unwanted things. Identify most important topics.    
Discuss with your teacher, your parents about your strengths and weaknesses. Concentrate on your weaknesses by allotting more time in your time chart for the subjects of importance. At the same time strengthen your strong areas. Like Arjuna in Kurukshetra focused on Bhishma and Karna. Believe that success is in your hands.

Lower your Anxiety quotient (AQ):
Please control your AQ. Read the suggestions given below to lower your anxiety quotient.

1.  Analyze the question paper. Understand blue print of the question paper. 
2. Analyze time to be devoted to essay, short answer and objective type questions. 
3. Look at marks allotted for each question and attempt the questions, where you can score most.

‘THINK TWICE BEFORE You INK
1. Will I be penalized for wrong answers?- Ask this question for yourself  
2. Take teachers help to identify areas where you can construct marks and scoring pattern. 
3. Take a pre-test to lower your AQ. 
4. Relax well. The adrenaline rushing through your system may not take instant retrieval if you fail to relax. 
5. The simplest technique of relaxation is deep breathing. Just lean back in your chair, and relax your muscles, close your eyes and take a deep breath. 
6. Meditate in the morning will greatly help. Meditation is nothing but concentration on the  object of your choice. 
7. If you feel sleepy and tired on a particular day, go to bed. Relax for an hour. During rest do not entertain any ideas about your examination. 
8. Get your subject doubts clarified immediately by your teacher 
9. Don’t use any tablets to reduce your tension or anxiety. Take a break of five minutes between your study schedule. Enjoy the quiet night and its peacefulness. It refreshes your  mind and learners the tension and anxiety. Try to recall and write the key points learnt by you on a particular day, before you  go to bed. 

10. Often test yourself whether you can recall, what you have studied earlier.

This is essential because you may forget what you have learnt a few days ago. Remember an agriculturist, after harvesting keeps the soil fertile again by watering it. In the same way you also recall and take frequent tests to remember subject matter. Constant recall of previous knowledge keeps your brain active with old information.

Visit the Examination place in advance 
If you are taking a test in a new surroundings, visit the place and locate it earlier to exam. Check out the location. This relieves you from the anxiety on the day of examination.

Don’t Eat Junk food. Eat right food
Linkage between examination stress and right food is nothing new. There exists a strong relationship between good food and the mental state of a person. for example, anxiety leads to loss of proteins and vitamin A, C and K. It is therefore important that students taking examinations should not neglect their nutritional needs during stressful conditions. Stressful conditions have a negative impact on the behavior and learning capacity of students. Therefore, students are advised not to drink coffee, tea, cool drinks during the days of examination. The students are advised to take a balanced diet with  pulses, low fat milk, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, small quantities of fat and sugar to combat the examination stress. They are also advised to eat foods rich in vitamin A like fish liver oil butter milk, green leafy vegetables, carrot, ripe mango, ripe papaya etc.,

Final Tips: 
Don’t loose confidence on yourself. Develop your self-esteem. 
Do not  postpone your studies 
Prepare a time management schedule.
Prepare your strength and weaknesses record. Concentrate on your weaknesses  strengthen your strong areas. 
Aware of the blue print of the question paper-number of questions, types of questions, nature of questions and marks allotment. 
Don’t entertain the horrible fear of ‘I can’t’.  Develop positive attitude ‘I can’ and ‘I will’. 
Start learning, build confidence, and destroy fear.

“EXAM—BHOOT-is nothing but a syndrome.  It has no place in students who have self confidence. So what are you afraid of? Doubts lead to failure. So, develop a positive thinking & succeed”