How To Deal With Board Exam Stress

Board exams coming up? Stressed? Wondering how to deal with board exam stress? 

 

Worry not. I am going to give you useful tips to deal with board exam stress.

Challenging times

Those appearing in the 2021 board exams (including my child) have faced new and different challenges along the way. Adjusting to online classes, online tests & prelims to name a few. Not to forget the confusion whether the exams will be taken in Feb-Mar or later and whether it will be offline or online? Will the syllabus reduce further? 

There was some percentage of students who didn’t have access to online studies. In some rural areas, the teachers came up with a unique teaching system. Students were taught over a loudspeaker by the teachers. Read more about it here.

Silver Lining 

The silver lining is that most of the curricula boards have reduced their syllabus. The board exam dates are declared and students have been given extra months to study. I encourage you all to make the best use of this extra time you have been given. You have more time to practice/revise.

Follow these simple steps that will assist you to reduce your board exam stress.

How to prepare for board exams

Preparing in advance for the board exam can eliminate undue stress. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

• Know your attention span and the time when your concentration is highest.
• Plan out a timetable keeping in mind your capacity to study in a day, timings of your school, tuitions, etc. 
• Avoid stuffing too much of a study portion in a day. You may end up not finishing the task thus leading to stress.
• Take short breaks every few hours.
• While you are studying, I recommend you to keep all distractions away and focus on the topic you are studying.
• Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
• At the end of each day,  tick all that you have completed. This will give you a sense of accomplishment.
• Thoroughly revise each subject at least twice-thrice.

What to do once you have finished revising all subjects?

After completion of revision, you start attempting previous years’ exam papers. These have many benefits.

• You can check how much you have retained from your revision.
• You can recognize your weak topics and revisit them. 
• Your writing speed increases, thus helping you to finish the paper in the allotted time.
• Don’t get discouraged if you, initially you are not able to complete the paper. Practice makes perfect. So attempt as many papers as you can.
• It also helps in remembering all that you have studied.

Nearer to the Board Exams

As the exam date approaches, don’t forget to try these suggestions along with your daily revision and paper writing:

• Meditate. It helps to calm your mind and compose your thoughts deviating you from board exam stress.
• In case you feel the panic or stress level rising, talk to someone you trust to lift your spirits. 
• Stay away from nervous and stressed people, that includes friends,  too.
• Helping out friends with their doubts is good but it shouldn’t hinder you from finishing your study of the day. Allow around an hour for doubt sessions.
• You have to remain optimistic throughout. Because it will help you to focus more on studying and less on worrying.
• Avoid relatives and friends who love to scare you by sharing their board exam experiences. They stressed me when I was giving my board exams (a few decades ago).
• Don’t forget to get a daily good night’s sleep, preferably 6 to 7 hours of undisturbed sleep.

Whenever you start feeling stressed, don’t forget to take calm deep breaths or meditation. Have a soothing beverage like herbal tea or hot chocolate.

During the board exams

• Revise everything thoroughly.
• Keep ready all the stuff you need for the exam like pens (take extra), pencils, erasure, ruler, geometry box, sharpener, etc., in your bag from the previous night only. This year you’ll probably need hand sanitizer and a mask, too.
• Have a good 6-7 hours of sleep (I know I’m repeating but it’s vital you do)
• Wake up early and fresh. 
• Stay calm, collected knowing that you have studied and practiced as much as you can. It is like just another test.
• Know that little stress is normal and acceptable.
• Have a healthy breakfast but not very heavy (you don’t want to doze off during the exam).
• It’s advisable to have healthy, nutritious food during exam time. Trust me, it benefits your mind and body.
• Reach the exam center a little early or at least on time.
• Remember to stay away from nervous friends and nervous talks.
• Before starting the exam, close your eyes, take deep breaths to calm your nerves. And attaaack attempt the paper. You know you’ve got this! All the very best.

After each exam

• Avoid discussing the answers to the paper with friends or family. In case you have answered differently, you will stress over it.
• You have given your best, now it’s up to God and the teacher correcting the paper. So stop thinking about it.
• Take time to relax before starting preparation for the next exam.

I hope the above tips help you to deal with board exam stress.  They work for other exams, as well. Let me know whether you found the above tips useful or not, in the comments section below.

You can read more articles about dealing with exam stress here.

“Don’t stress, give your best, and ignore the rest. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”