Key points from the article:-
- Regular intervals
- Exercise and going outdoors
- Time management
- Talk to someone
- Practice tests
- Group studying
- Don’t always listen to others
These days, there’s immense academic pressure on kids. They’re expected to do better and better each passing day. Sometimes parents get so busy with wanting their kids to be the best that they forget how delicate kids really are. As parents and teachers we must teach our children to de-stress when things get tough. To be able to take a break and find little ways of helping eliminate the risk of a meltdown. Listed below are a few things we believe help reduce stress and can be very helpful before exams.
- Regular intervals -
It’s important for students to know what their attention span is, for example - if a student can sit in one place and study without being disturbed or distracted for an hour, then forcing him/her to study for 2, only adds to the students stress. Instead he/she can take a half an hour break. At Shivneri boarding school we have a vast library. Students can pick out books and read the stories they find interesting! Engaging in an activity and taking your mind of exams have proven to be refreshing. Students feel relaxed and can get back to studying with a higher attention span and concentration power.
- Exercise and going outdoors-
Physical activities have been proven to boost your mood and can help students be more productive whilst revising. At Shivneri boarding school we have a vast variety of outdoor and indoor activities such as table tennis, tennis, cricket, basketball, volleyball and many sports or clubs for our students to join, enjoy and for your kids to enjoy, de-stress and relax.
- Time management-
In life one must always learn to prioritize. Prioritizing tasks and laying down a structure helps greatly in reducing stress. At Shivneri boarding school we have a strict schedule that students are expected to follow through the day. This creates a structure instilling in students the idea that when you have things to do which are planned it doesn’t add too much pressure on the students. One way to manage time is by sitting down with a pen and a paper, writing down the dates of the exam, the time they have left before their exams. Writing down the list of things that they can achieve on a particular day. It’s important to stay realistic in this stage. Realistically write down the things you can finish and then work accordingly. Staying focused and being prepared for what’s to come, reduces stress and the pressure to perform. Students should also be taught the importance of staying flexible. While having a revision time table is one of the best tools at your disposal during exams, students should stress if they’re not able to get everything done on their list and take on added pressure. Just because one thing wasn’t ticked off, doesn’t mean that their whole day was a waste.
- Talk to someone-
When students are feeling pressured, they should always talk to those closest to them. If they’re stuck with a particular math problem, they should feel free to talk to their peers, parents or teachers. At Shivneri boarding school teachers live on campus or around it. They’re always around to help students when they’re stuck especially before and during exams. Talking to someone expressing your feelings, makes you feel light and stops you from being overwhelmed. At Shivneri boarding school every week we have a psychologist who visits the school, carries out activities for our students and is also available for personal, private sessions. We believe that therapy should be normalized for kids because for us the mental health of our students is as important as their physical health.
- Practice tests-
The best way to be prepared for an exam is by taking the exam! Before an exam, once your done learning the syllabus, set up time where you solve practice tests. These practice tests should run as long as the real exam and should be taken seriously. Like how in an exam where you don’t have the time to take breaks and talk to your classmates, when one is solving a mock test, it’s imperative that they stay away from their distractions. Once the test is solved, mark it yourself and see how prepared you really are for the real exam. This tells you how much is left to do, what your strengths are and what are the weaknesses you need to work on. Plan your schedule accordingly.
- Group studying-
Students who study together have a higher chance of under concepts they normally wouldn’t understand. Your friends at school are the ones you turn to for everything. Studying together is a great way to revise the topics students already know by heart. By studying together students can exchange notes, explain the things they understand and learn the things they don’t together. This makes revising and learning easier on the kids and reduces stress.
- Don’t always listen to others-
Comparison is the thief of joy. No two students are the same and hence we shouldn’t draw comparisons about how much one has studied or revised. Avoid talking to fellow classmates who talk about how much they’ve already studied or how much is left. Knowing how far behind you are only adds to the existing stress levels and should be avoided. Students should stay focused on their growth and how much have they studied. Students must work hard to reach their best level even if it’s not the top of the class. While that is the rank one should work for, it’s important for students to understand that achieving too grades is not the only goal in life. If they’re not going to pay attention to their mental and physical health for good grades, it’s going to cause problems later in life. Extra stress and hypertension lead to medical emergencies and an unhealthy environment for kids to strive in.
Getting a little tensed or stressed a few weeks before an exam is natural. Students want to make their parents proud and also want to get good grades so as they don’t fail. However when you take in a lot of stress, there could be a few physical and psychological stresses to your mind and body. Some of them are a change in appetite, sleep difficulties, backache, feeling mentally drained out, and the inability to concentrate or finish a task. At Shivneri boarding school, our teachers, Aayas are always on campus and must be immediately approached when things get touch.