With exams around the corner, students are wondering on how to reduce their examination day stress. Here are a few pointers for those students who are looking to lessen their stress. We all see lots of students studying and revising immediately prior to the exam, as if they can memorize the entire course in a few minutes, this is a waste of energy and will add to your stress. It is a common sight to see students pacing outside the examination center with notes in their hands trying to overload their brain. This last moment stress will only make you forget what you already know.
A few steps that I feel help for de-stressing exam day:
Stop studying a couple of hours before the exam.
Take a few deep breaths and relax your body and mind whenever you feel tension creeping in.
Learn a quick meditation of 5-10 minutes and practice that while waiting to enter the examination hall
Avoid friends who cause tension or are trying to scare you pull down your confidence. Do not discussing exam topics prior to entering the examination hall, because if you haven’t studied the topic, at the last moment this will cause additional nervousness
Listen to smoothing and relaxing music on your headphones, or watch funny videos on your phone
Have an exam morning ritual, such as eat a high protein diet (curd + rice + sugar is said to help). Visit a place of worship, if you are religious.
Take several deep breaths to calm yourself while the exam sheets are being distributed. This is not a time to raise your anxiety levels.
Remember as you enter the hall, this is just an exam, and it doesn’t determine who you are as a person. If you are nervous that you haven’t studied enough, take this as a lesson of life to study more before the next exams.
