The recent incidences of school going children committing suicide, fearing bad marks or failing in an exam had me thinking about the time when I was a student. The pressure both amongst peers and family to be a top ranking student was so strong that it could make the strongest person crumble. I belong to a generation where the pressure to exceed was enormous, and today it seems that same pressure has only magnified. The belief that if you do not score amongst the top 10 in your class, you are not good enough for society, is slowly but steadily eroding our youth. The one track belief that being a doctor or an engineer is the only way to get to the top is resulting in an ever growing number of unsatisfied adults, stuck in their dead end jobs and constantly unhappy for the rest of their lives.
Another problem is the school environment, where marks are everything, failure is looked down upon and only your ability to memorize your text word-for-word is lauded. But what about those children who can't memorize but can learn? Isn't that why we want our children to have an education, to be able to use it in the real world?
If you are a student appearing for an exam, remember that there are other professions apart from medicine or engineering. If your passion lies in being a doctor, or an engineer, it is the best thing for you to do, but just going after it because your entire class is, is a bad idea! Putting undue pressure on yourself is only going to result in unwanted stress. Here are a few symptoms of stress you should look out for:
Symptoms of stress:
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of stress.
These are the general symptoms, but your general state of mind also plays an important role in determining if you actually are stressed or not. Just before your exams, you can do the following things to keep your stress levels in check;
If you are done with your exams, here is how you can handle result related anxiety:
Exams or the results are not the end of the world: Studying for an exam is mandatory to learn and do well, but do not stress out because of it. Address the fears you might have, do you think you might fail? Or do you think you will do well, but not as good as your parents or peers expected? Remember that the marks you get on one paper are not going to decide your entire life. There are a number of eminent people in the world who were so severely disabled when it came to studies that they could not even clear a single paper. Your marks will only show you where you need to improve. Remember there is always a next time.
Suicide is not the answer: If you feel the pressure mounting, take a short break and just relax. You could try deep breathing or just going out for a walk. Talk to someone you trust about how you are feeling and why you are feeling so. Taking your life, because you are afraid of the consequences is the worst thing you can do to yourself and family.
Talk to your parents: Your parents are just worried about you. If you feel your parents are putting too much pressure on you, talk to a teacher or a counsellor. Tell them and ask for help getting rid of the stress. If you have no such recourse, talk to your parents and tell them how you are feeling.
If you are a parent, it is important that you understand your child's point of view and state of mind. It will help your child a great deal if you help him/her understand you are there at all times. Making them feel like they have someone who will understand their state of mind, will help them relax and accept the results without fear. Do not stigmatise a child who is unable to perform, or feel ashamed of him/her, instead hone their talents. Children are smarter than you think, they are very good in picking up on your moods without you speaking a word, so keep in mind that you have to be whole heartedly supportive.
Also Read:
Exam diet: Foods to boost your brain power
Top 10 ways to survive the exams
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