Exam Stress

When we say “STRESS”, it means……..

Stress in individuals is defined as any interference that disturbs a person’s healthy mental and physical wellbeing. It occurs when the body is required to perform beyond its normal range of capabilities.

Stress statements

§  Too much change too quickly can be a cause of stress.

§  Stress can be caused by pleasant and unpleasant events.

§  The cause of stress may not always be apparent.

§  Usually stress is a result of build up of ‘related and unrelated events.’

§  Often your stress is more apparent to others than to yourself.

§  Reactions to stress can be emotional, physical and behavioral.

§  There is no magical formula for a stress free life but there are easy techniques for minimizing stress.

The fear factor…….?

Fear springs from ignorance, fear is a negative response to a problem. The reason why examination produces so much stress in students is the fear and shame associated with failing or getting low marks. Parents also fix targets for children without being aware of their levels of competence and abilities. Thus, they pass on their anxieties about the expected performance of their children. This further leads the children to fear their ability to rise up to the expectations of parents. Peer pressure is also one of the major factors that adds to this stress.

A Hurdle or Stepping stone……?

We need to view examinations not as hurdles in life, but as stepping stones to greater progress. Examinations are stepping stones to rise higher, just as we do in a staircase, slowly moving towards the top. Some steps are easy to climb. Others are not. However, examinations are crucial since they provide a means to test the level of knowledge attained by a student. 

COMMENT