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1.Unlocking the Psychology of Pressure: A Key to Success in Board Exams

According to Peter Clough, Professor of Psychology at Manchester University, the mindset of students undergoes a significant shift during exams. Understanding this psychological dynamic is crucial for students and parents to effectively navigate the pressures of board exams.

By recognizing how students' minds work under pressure, individuals can develop strategies to manage stress, build confidence, and optimize performance. This valuable insight can make all the difference in achieving success in board exams."

Helping Students Cope with Exam Stress

As exams approach, students can feel overwhelmed with stress and pressure. They want to do well and finish their work on time, but this can lead to burnout, sadness, and worry. It's up to all of us - students, parents, and teachers to help students manage this stress. We can do this by:

- Listening to them and offering emotional support

- Guiding them and encouraging them in a positive way

- Helping them set achievable goals and priorities

By working together, we can help students stay focused, motivated, and calm. We can also help them do their best in exams without hurting their mental health.

Optimizing Revision Strategies

When revising for exams, students often gravitate towards tackling easy topics first. However, research suggests that a fresh mind processes information more efficiently. To maximize revision effectiveness, encourage students to tackle challenging topics first, followed by easier ones.

Managing Exam Anxiety

Exam stress can quickly escalate into fear, negatively impacting performance. To mitigate this, it's essential to provide students with emotional support and guidance. Parents, family members, teachers, and friends can play a vital role in helping students manage their thoughts and emotions, ensuring they stay focused and confident throughout the exam period.

Helping Students Set Realistic Goals

When exams are near, students often struggle to set achievable goals. The pressure can be overwhelming, making it hard for them to understand what they can really accomplish. In such situations, help your child recognize their strengths and weaknesses. This will enable them to set goals that are right for them, making it easier to stay focused and confident.

Lift Their Spirits

A little positivity can go a long way in helping students stay strong during exams. Here's how you can help:

- Say encouraging words to boost their confidence

- Try to keep them happy and relaxed

- Offer ongoing support and motivation to keep them going

Your positive attitude and support can make a big difference in helping them stay focused and calm.

Help Them Improve

Regularly check how your child is doing in their studies. Encourage them to focus on areas where they need improvement. And most importantly, remind them that:

- It's okay to make mistakes or not do well on a test.

- One bad result won't define their whole life.

- They can always learn from their mistakes and try again.

By doing this, you'll help your child stay motivated and focused on improving, rather than getting stressed about making mistakes.

2. Avoid studying all night

Amy Reichelt from Adelaide University shares an important message for students taking board exams: last-minute all-night studying does more harm than good.

Many students panic the night before exams, feeling unprepared. They try to memorize everything at once, staying up all night. This approach doesn't work. Our brains struggle to remember information when we're stressed and tired.

To do well in exams, students need to:

Learn how to retain information effectively
Use what they've learned in the exam
Keep up with regular study and revision

The key is helping students maintain steady study habits instead of rushing at the last minute. This helps them feel confident and prepared when exam day comes.

Things will be remembered for a long time

Students often struggle with tough concepts and resort to last-minute cramming. Instead, the 'deep processing' method can help them learn more effectively.

Deep processing means connecting new information to things students already know. This mental exercise makes learning more meaningful. When students link new facts to their existing knowledge, they:

Understand subjects better
Move beyond simple memorization
Develop genuine interest in topics

Help students practice this technique. It turns boring facts into interesting connections, making learning stick better than cramming ever could.

Notes alone are not enough

Reading notes over and over doesn't always help you remember them, and staying up all night before exams isn't the answer. Instead, try these helpful tricks:

Use spider diagrams and mind maps - these are like drawing pictures of your ideas. They help your brain connect different facts and make them stick in your memory for much longer. Think of it like making a map of what you're learning.

Writing things by hand also makes a big difference. It not only helps you remember better but also makes you faster at writing - which really helps during exams when you need to write a lot in a short time.

These methods work much better than just reading the same things again and again or trying to memorize everything the night before your exam.

Sleep is also important

Many students think staying up all night before exams helps, but science shows this actually hurts their performance. Here's why sleep is your secret weapon for exam success:

During 'slow wave sleep', your brain processes what you've learned during the day. This special sleep stage helps lock short-term memories into your brain. The hippocampus (a key part of your brain) works while you sleep to strengthen these memories and boost your learning.

So instead of pulling an all-nighter:

Get a good night's sleep before exams
Let your brain naturally strengthen what you've learned
Wake up fresh and ready to perform your best

Remember: Quality sleep is better than extra study hours when you're tired. Your brain needs rest to turn what you've learned into lasting memories.

3. What To Do When Your Mind Goes Blank during the Examination

Does your mind freeze when you look at the exam paper? Don't worry - this happens to many students. Professor Jason M Lodge from Queensland University has some helpful advice about this common problem. Even after good preparation, some students find their minds going blank in the exam hall. It feels like everything they studied has disappeared. The more they panic and try to force themselves to remember, the harder it gets. This is called 'mind blank', and it's completely normal during exams.

How to Handle It

- Don't panic when it happens

- Remember it's a normal reaction to stress

- Take a few deep breaths

- Start with questions you find easier

- Give your mind a moment to settle

Understanding why this happens helps you deal with it better. It's just your brain's response to stress, not a sign that you've forgotten everything you learned.

How Your Brain Works During Exam Stress

When your mind goes blank, it's actually your brain reacting to stress. Let's break down what happens in simple terms:

Think of your brain like a control room with different sections:

- The hypothalamus is like your emotion control center - it releases hormones when you're stressed

- The hippocampus works like your memory storage - it helps you remember what you've learned

- The prefrontal cortex is your thinking manager - it helps you think clearly and make good decisions

When you're stressed, these brain parts get overwhelmed and can't work properly. It's like trying to work on a computer that's frozen - even though all your files are there, you can't access them properly until the system calms down.

Why Your Brain Freezes in Exams - The Simple Truth

Your brain sees exams as a danger signal - like a big red warning light. When you walk into the exam hall feeling stressed, your body releases two stress chemicals:

- One chemical (norepinephrine) makes it hard to think clearly

- Another chemical (cortisol) messes with your memory

It's like your brain hitting the panic button. When this happens, your feelings take over and block your thinking - that's why your mind goes blank. It's the same thing that happens to everyone when they're very nervous.

Think of it like trying to solve a puzzle while someone's shouting at you - it's hard to focus even though you know how to do it. Your brain isn't broken - it's just trying to protect you, but in a way that's not helpful during exams.

Simple Ways to Beat Exam Stress

Don't worry too much if your mind goes blank during exams - there are easy ways to handle it. Here's what helps:

Learn to manage stress before it takes over:

- Practice staying calm with deep breathing

- Think of exams as regular challenges, not scary monsters

- Try practice tests to get used to exam conditions

The more you practice these tricks, the more confident you'll feel. It's like training for a sport - the more you practice, the better you get at handling pressure. This helps you stay cool during real exams and do your best work.

Remember: A blank mind doesn't mean you don't know the answers - it just means you need a moment to relax and let your brain work properly.

4. What is making you feel anxious about the upcoming exam

Exam Stress: It's Not Just Students Who Suffer

Are you a parent feeling anxious about your child's upcoming board exams? You're not alone! Many parents get nervous along with their kids. Professor Christine Grove from RMIT University shares some helpful tips to reduce exam anxiety. This stress can cause students to:

“Feel nervous and sweaty”

“Freeze up during the exam”

“Have a racing heartbeat”

And it's not just students who experience this - parents do too! A little anxiety is normal, but too much can harm your child's performance. To help your child do their best, try to:

“Identify what's causing the anxiety”

“Find ways to manage it together”

By doing so, you can help your child feel more confident and prepared for their exams. It is important to understand exam anxiety.

It is an intense feeling of fear or nervousness before or during an exam. Talking about students, students who worry less feel a little less nervous. Due to this, they are able to concentrate on their studies and answer the questions easily. On the other hand, students who worry more are more nervous about the exam. Some do not even appear in the exam due to fear of failure, while some are not able to concentrate properly. This leads to negative thoughts in them. In such a situation, learning and teaching ways to control anxiety can improve their performance.

Its effect

Anxiety: When Helpful, When Hurtful

Anxiety can be beneficial in emergency situations, triggering our brain to respond quickly. However, in situations like exams, excessive anxiety can be counterproductive. It can lead to distracting thoughts and self-doubt. To combat this, it's crucial to help students shift their focus to positive energy and constructive thinking.

Treat it like this

5 Ways to Help Your Child Overcome Exam Anxiety

Exam anxiety is a common challenge, but with careful attention and guidance, it can be managed. Here are some effective strategies to help your child stay calm and focused:

1. Encourage healthy habits: Ensure they get sufficient sleep, eat nutritious food, and exercise regularly.

2. Practice mindfulness: Teach them mindfulness techniques to improve concentration and memory.

3. Study smart: Encourage studying in short, daily sessions instead of last-minute cramming.

4. Build resilience: Teach your child to recognize and overcome anxiety triggers.

5. Nurture a positive mindset: Remind them that exams are not a defining factor in their worth or abilities.

By implementing these strategies, you can empower your child to manage exam anxiety and achieve their full potential.

Akash Shahi

Mentor, Career Development Coach, Career Guide, NLP Practitioner