EXAM STRESS AND ANXIETY — HOW STUDENTS CAN MANAGE IT EFFECTIVELY

Introduction

Exam stress is common among  candidates sitting any exam, for instance KCSE candidates. While some stress is normal, too much can affect memory, focus, performance, and confidence. This article provides practical strategies to help students manage stress and remain calm before and during examinations. Let us focus on the following steps:

          1.Understand What Causes Exam Stress

There are a number of things\factors that may cause exam stress, Common causes include:

Fear of failure

well, it might sound like a normal thing, but its a bad thing to think of. Everyone who is about to enter those exam rooms develops this fear of: what happens if I fail? which is okay. But since you want to beat the anxiety and stress that comes after. we need to understand that fear is one of the causes.

 Too much pressure

You want to beat your friend who scored higher marks than you in the previous exam? or you want to beat your cousin who scored higher marks during the last year's KCSE? well that is just one of the biggest cause of exam fears and stress. this is simply putting yourself into unnecessary pressure. Can you be you?

Poor preparation

Your cousin is a university student and you stay together at home. He's currently on holiday, most of the time he doesn't read but he's just on his phone. WOW! he has just recruited you to his team of not studying. At the end you realize your term has come to an end and you have not prepared well. You start perusing over your books in the last week to the exam. That is a poor preparation. 

 Comparing yourself with others

Your desk mate doesn't study but instead makes noise during the day, you want to be like him and beat the odds, this is a tricky move since he/she might be a genius and could be working out over night in your absence. When results are out, he/she is ahead of you. This alone can cause exam stress and anxiety.

Negative thinking

"I am a failure, my mother was and maybe I'm just in school to go through the system" most of the students tend to have this kind of thoughts with them. This negativity can cause exam anxiety and stress. you need to be very keen on that.

Lack of rest

Gaming and doing TikTok at home till late midnight consumes a lot of your time and exhausts your brain when you would be sleeping and letting the brain rest for a fresh start the following day. Doing this before exams can cause exam stress and anxiety.

This the first step of getting rid of anxiety and stress during examination period since understanding the cause helps you solve the problem.

        2. Create a Realistic Study Plan

At this point I hope you have figured out some of the causes of exam stress and anxiety. Another important step you need to take is to create not just a plan but a realistic one for your exams to avoid stress.

You should know that a well-organized plan reduces pressure.

Therefore, Your plan should:

 Include daily goals

If you wake up early enough everyday to study, at about 5a.m and go to bed at 10.00 pm, then you have plenty of time to study. You can take 3 different subjects a day on your personal studies allocating each subject plenty of time. For this case an hour each.

Break subjects into manageable topics

You might think that now you have an hour to study on a single subject, then maybe you should read the whole book in an hour. That is not being realistic. What to do here, break those subjects or units down into smaller sub topics that could be managed in that hour. If you are studying history and government form two, on TRADE, take some few sub topics like, trans Saharan trade, and local trade. study and attempt some questions.

Allow revision time

That was studying, it goes hand in hand with revising. They might look similar but they aren't that similar. Here, take a lot of question and try to figure out answers. You might want to start with past papers or revision books.

      3. Practice Relaxation Techniques

You have revised and studied enough. But you still have the fear of whether you will make it or not. Here is what to do next, practice relaxation, here is how;

These include:

Deep breathing

Sounds silly right? don't look down on this exercise. It sounds a small thing but just do it. It helps a lot to relieve the tension that might be there during an exam period.

 Meditation

Another major exercise for you is meditation. Sit down somewhere quiet and think of how good you have revised, on top of it, try seeing yourself successful in that coming exam. 

 Light exercise

You have got some free time? lets try to work out some simple exercise like jogging, simple push ups. This keeps your mind and body active.

Listening to calm music

Are you a music lover? Any kind of music you like listening to. Go ahead and do it. Calmly listen to your favorite music over and over until you feel better.

Short walks

While listening to your favorite music, you can decide to take some short walks not to tire yourself but to help you relax your mind and improve concentration.

   4. Avoid Last-Minute Cramming

As much as we have done all of the above, let us not forget there is always a big mistake students tend to make. That is, the last minute rush.

AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS SINCE Cramming increases panic and reduces memory retention. But instead do these:

Have a better approach, as we mentioned earlier. Prepare earlier.

Review notes regularly to keep yourself updated.

Practice active recall, while revising, practice more active recalls by attempting some questions by yourself.

   5. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Make sue you get some good foods for the brain:

 Fruits

Vegetables

Whole grains

Water

Nuts

  Remember to avoid too much sugar or junk food.

      6. Talk to Someone

This is an important but sensitive part in life, but when fear overwhelmed you, share your feelings with:

Teachers

Parents

Friends

Counselors

 This  reduces stress and offers emotional support.

     7. Get enough sleep

Another important action you need to take is to have enough sleep. ensure you sleep for a bout 7-8 hours per day. This reduces stress and keeps your brain active ready for the following day's activities. Do this especially when its nearing exams or during the exam period.

      Conclusion

Exam stress is normal, but manageable. With proper planning, healthy habits, and positive thinking, any student can overcome anxiety and succeed.

This article has been prepared by Kihusa Henry, a a teacher counselor