Managing Exam Induced Anxiety

Examination as a mandatory aspect of coursework is viewed with fear and doubt by many students. It is important to understand that some students react to it through fear while some others are bombarded with self-doubt. These are natural reactions to perceived danger of failure and uncertainty. It leads to withdrawal symptoms and anxiety. Some children observe how their peers react to this stress and may learn from their experiences. There may be students who try to respond in an authentic manner and this indeed can cause stress. Learning by appeal to the herd instinct is easy but it has some limitations. It means when you are alone and have to solve problems on your own you will have tremendous stress as there is no example to benchmark with. rnOne way of combating anxiety is to maintain a diary of your singular experiences in dealing with examination tension. Try and solve papers on your own without any time-limit. Then slowly introduce time-limit as a constraint and see how you fare. This alone will not be sufficient to overcome anxiety as examinations cause fear not purely because of the questions framed but also because of the conditions in which they are taken; the fear and self-doubt that come along with them and the need to apply concepts learnt. Regular practice may not be enough to combat this anxiety in students as it is also psychological and psychosomatic. Knowing how to deal with fear also deserves attention. Fear could be a sense of false evidence appearing real and if this is the case then visualization can be corrected by confiding in a mentor. Self-doubt on the other hand can come about depending on the state of self-confidence that students have in their abilities. If this is the case then having evidence to show that you are capable of giving exams is necessary. Ample evidence comes with practice. When you see yourself solve problems correctly you will have the evidence which can provide the stepping stone to rectifying unnecessary self-doubts. With new age technologies and the emerging advanced perspectives in education you find in tutors not only able teachers but also proactive mentors. Studies have shown that handling anxiety becomes easier as you gain facility with technology. Perspectives change with more openness and independence in thought. Students should also know that making mistakes give more scope for innovation. Always look ahead for more opportunities to crack examinations with confidence.