After two years of online and hybrid assessment, 10th and 12th-grade students are gearing up to finally face a major offline examination this month. This cannot be a stress-free time for students who went through a challenging time during the pandemic induced owing to COVID-19.
In fact, the 2022 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022, found a decline in reading and math levels of school-going children post the pandemic. Educationists have also found how two years of online classes have affected children’s writing and reading abilities and this has increased their anxiety and decreased their confidence level in writing the board exams. In this context, Educationist and founder of TreeHouse of Chain of schools, Rajesh Bhatia provides five tips that can help students to tackle exam stress with confidence and ease.
Manage your time efficiently
Statesman Benjamin Franklin correctly stated that, “Lost time is never found again.”Judicious time management skills are a prerequisite for stress-free exam preparation. To avoid prolonged procrastination, adopt the Pomodoro Technique which involves dividing work into 25 minute sessions, with a break of five minutes. This will help you tackle larger portions more effectively without compromising on your sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation will lead to fatigue and affect your concentration in the long run so just focus on the here and now, set a timetable, make a to-do list, and most importantly, organise and prioritise your study material.
Assign difficulty levels to study material
Once you make a timetable, the next step would be to prioritise the study material according to its importance and level of difficulty. Accordingly, the chapters can be divided into easy, moderate, and tough categories and time allocation can be tailored accordingly. Do not memorise concepts without understanding their meaning as this is an ineffective and wrong method of studying. Only when you understand a concept, will the retention power increase. Self-assessment exercises will also help you to know your weaknesses and you can then work to improve them.
Utilise old question papers for mock tests
Attempting mock tests with the help of old question papers is yet another productive way to prepare for exams. Old question papers are a gold mine of information about preferred questions and marking patterns and they can help you to solve problems in a time-bound manner and to divide your time efficiently. Any hurdles you face can be negotiated with the help of teachers, and friends, or through online or offline study material. You can source these question papers from multiple sources including academic guides and the internet.
Minimise distractions
Cut out distractions like losing yourself in social media rabbit holes, OTT binges, long WhatsApp chats with friends, constantly checking notifications etc. Choose a quiet study zone and declutter and organise it for maximum efficiency. Keep your phone in the silent mode and turn off notifications. Noise-cancelling headphones, short meditation sessions, creating a "not-to-do" list, slowly opening and closing your fists for five minutes whenever you feel distracted will help you to sharpen your concentration.
Prioritise your mental and physical health
Studying for long hours without any breaks may affect your mental health as well as physical well-being. Regulated meal and sleep timings, frequent breaks to recharge your brain, breathing exercises, spending time with pets and loved ones, drinking enough water and taking short walks will help refresh you. Practising yoga or any physical exercise regularly will flood your mind and body with stress-relieving endorphins. Listening to your favourite music and enjoying some light reading will also help you to get back to your books with renewed energy. And finally remember what an American basketball coach said, "Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
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