Tips to Ease Off Entrance Exam Stress - Here's How to Deal With It
Pressure to succeed in an entrance examination can cause an excessive amount of stress. While a bit of pressure is necessary to keep up the tempo during preparations but don't let it overtake you. Check tips to ease off entrance exam pressure.
Entrance exam pressure! We are pretty sure this phrase is going to cause fluttering sensations in your stomach. For every student who is preparing for any entrance exam, anxiety, nervousness, confusion and worry are the constant companions as there is a lot at stake. But, there are different kinds of exam pressures. There is one type that will propel you towards your ultimate goal and then there is the other type that will bog you down with unnecessary burdens such as negative thought processes, a dip in confidence etc. The second type of entrance exam stress is the one we are worried about and will discuss strategies to ensure it does not affect the exam preparations and performance of the examinees.
There is a plethora of content circulating the web that claims they can help out upcoming entrance examinees with expert tips and suggestions to handle the pressure of the entrance exams. Several hit Television series such as TVF’s Aspirants and Kota Factory (available on Netflix) have successfully captured the quiddities of entrance exam pressures. So what tricks are helpful to negate the second type of entrance exams? Who to believe and who not? If these questions are emanating from our establishing para, then we are here exactly to answer those questions. Let us jump in!
Factors Leading to Entrance Exam Stress among Students
Why are the aspirants even stressed out? There is nothing to stress about if you have done your preparations alright. Why not focus on what’s on your hand rather than thinking of the future? It is just an exam. Failing in it does not mean it’s the end of the road.
An anonymous mind comes up with these kinds of questions while facing the phrase “Entrance Exam Stress”. Well, it is not that easy. There are so many things before an entrance exam to stress about and we are going to list them down -
The incessant fear of failing in the exam - This is one of the reasons which contributes majorly towards entrance exam stress. No matter how well an aspirant has prepared for an entrance exam, the fear of not qualifying always lies within - even if it is 1%. And why should not they be? These entrance exams are highly competitive. Lakhs, if not thousands, appear in these exams and with a limited number of seats, it is self-explanatory that the chances are very slim and the slightest of mistakes can jeopardize their chances. One failure means one less chance and a long 10-12 month wait. So, even the aspirants think they have taken all the necessary measures while preparing for the entrance exam, the reality is what induces a “fear of failure” in the aspirants
Less time to prepare/revise for the entrance exam - Another factor that is quite common among the aspirants that give birth to entrance exam fear is the shortage of time to either prepare or revise for the entrance exam. Sometimes, the aspirants are taking back to back entrance exams which leaves them with little time to prepare or revise for the upcoming entrance exam. It then becomes the perfect breeding ground for entrance exam stress to mushroom.
Difficulty in understanding concepts - Another big factor contributing towards the development of entrance exam stress is a shallow conceptual base. The test takers must have a solid conceptual base to be able to attempt a maximum number of questions in the given time and we all know that the number of questions to time ratio is pretty low in any entrance exam. Attempting the maximum number of questions correctly is the key to get through to the next round of the selection process. Once the aspirants identify they are having difficulty in understanding the concepts, panic starts setting in which eventually leads to exam stress
Family pressure - In India, there is a saying that an entrance exam tests the mental strength of both the candidates and their parents or relatives. An entrance exam aspirant is well aware of this fact. Any attempt by the aspirants to get away from this pressure always lead them towards a dead-end as the parents and relatives make sure they bring this up every now and then. One cannot blame the parents in this as their ward’s future is their biggest concern. But, this puts an unnecessary burden on the exam takers. The “daily systematic long hours of study” system of our country has helped so little in changing this mentality.
How to Deal with Entrance Exam Stress
Having identified the major contributors of entrance exam stress and their physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms, it is time for us to focus on the purpose of this article - tips and tricks to deal with entrance exam pressure in this section -
Try to calm your mind before the final stages of the exam preparations. Organize yourself and try to focus all your thoughts on positive things and try and channel his positive energy into your final phase of exam preparation
Start early. Instead of starting at that point where revising is more important than learning or exploring new things, start preparing with ample time in hand. This way, you will feel less stressed out close to the exam. By starting early, you can identify your preparation strategy, choose the best study materials and prepare self-notes while learning new concepts concurrently
Health is wealth. Healthy food and a rested mind are necessary for the candidates appearing in any highly competitive entrance exam. Nutritious food will help you keep your anxiety level at bay and a rested mind means you will be all charged up for every session of your preparation plan
Start your preparations with the subjects or topics you find easy to comprehend. You can also employ this technique at the start of every study session as this will help set the mood. Once you are done with the easy subjects/topics, you can devote the rest of the study time to the moderately tougher or tougher subjects/topics
Never forget - if your plans are ambitious from the very beginning and you fail to make those plans work, then the motivation is bound to take a massive dip which is not very good with the exam around the corner. A realistic plan is a key to success as it guarantees you a stress-free final preparatory push
Ask for help if required. Some candidates might feel this to be the biggest thing as they fear being mocked if they open up regarding stress. Talk to a friend whom you believe is discreet, talk to your teachers, talk to your parents (if you are comfortable) but please do talk if you are feeling low. The listener might not be able to provide you with a solution, but it will relax your mind
Just accept the fact that the percentage of succeeding in the entrance exam has nothing to do with the number of test-takers or available seats. You are different from the others. Your strengths might not be their strengths. Believe in yourself, in your preparation strategy and the efforts you have put into during the preparatory stages of the entrance exam
Advice for Parents During Entrance Exam Preparation
Dear parents, we understand that the only thing that you are concerned about is your child’s future. We believe no parent take any decision that jeopardizes their child’s confidence and growth. But, just make sure once that you are in sync with your kid on this aspect. Yes, you might have aspirations or unfulfilled dreams that you wish your kids to fulfil but never in this hard endeavour forget that your kids need you - right at this hour more than anybody else. Become a confidant to your kids so that they can express their stress. Let yourself be your kids’ confidence booster.
If you feel the need to speak to experts who can guide and mentor you with respect to exam related anxiety and stress, call us at 90528-90528 or write to us at seeksupport@collegedekho.com.