Short speech on the topic exam fear
Answers
The world is so competitive that everyone wants to be toppers whether it is exams or any other competition. This is a positive sign as far as the development is considered. But it puts a lot of stress on students as well as participants. As they near examinations, children normally will be under stress. The anxiety only is enough to put them under pressure. On top of it they have peer pressure, pressure from the school/college as well as from parents. Some take it very easy and they enjoy the days whether it is exam time or other. But majority of the students and participants will be anxious about their performance and results.
Are we taxing our children? What are we going to achieve and what do we lose due to this unwanted pressure and unhealthy competition?
If you look at it, from lower Kindergarten to High School level, children undergo studies in various subjects where the prescribed syllabus is more than what an average child can take. Of course there are curriculums where more importance is given to practical knowledge rather than concentrating on theoretical aspects. The pressure will be comparatively low in such cases even though children have to do a lot of work themselves by way of research and development.
How can we overcome the exam fear? The fear is basically due to the lack of self confidence within oneself. When I have not done what I am supposed to be doing, I will start worrying about the results. So, first of all one should be aware of what to do, how much time he/she has in hand and how important is it. Analyze the situation, the requirement and objective before starting the work whether it is studies or something else. It may be very simple to do but not doing it or doing it wrongly may cause big loss to you. So, it is important to understand and prioritize things.
I may have a lot of chapters to study and the time left before the exam is very less. There will be a fear in me of not able to complete my studies before the examination date. This will create a pressure in me and I will start rushing. I will not be able to concentrate and study well under pressure and I may even forget what I have studied just five minutes back. This happens to most of the students.
The common problems one can find with the children (this is applicable to grown up people as well) are
• They do not know about their priorities
• No planning or proper schedule for the action plan
• Regular studies or review are not done (one may have lot of excuses for not being regular)
• They don’t know how to study, when to study and what to study. But they also do not want to listen to their teachers, parents or those who have experience with similar situations
• They do not want to revisit what mistakes they have made in previous occasions and correct the same so that they do better next time
• There is no peer to peer communication happening discussing about the subjects and portion to study
• Physical health problems due to which they are tired or feel sleepy the moment they open the book
• Pressure from teachers to do things at the last minute (unexpected changes in schedule)
There are many cases where a child is forced by parents to take up studies in a particular branch with subjects that he/she is not at all interested in. In such cases, there will not be any motivation to study. In some other cases, the teachers many not be so good at teaching the subjects with less interaction between students and teachers. Such topics will be boring for children and they will just study for the sake of passing the examination. Since they have to get a minimum pass mark to go to the next level, they will feel worried about the exams and the result.
Here are some tips to keep the anxiety and fear level low.
• Never make a child to study something by force. Let them select their own interested areas of study. If you force, the child will do only to satisfy you. The child will not concentrate on his/her studies and at the end may not perform well in exams
• Parents must have constant interaction with children about what has happened in the class, what they have to study and how they are studying. Then they can help and guide children in doing things in an organized manner
• It is easy to create a Time Table for children to effectively utilize their time for studies as well as other entertainment activities. The time allocated must be balanced in such a way that they get sufficient break in between. Continuous studies can be monotonous and tiring. It will not work daily. They must get enough time to sleep as well (suggested 6 to 7 hours of sleep). Remember a sound sleep refreshes them
• Make sure that studies are over at least a day before the exam and then the child only revises what he/she has studied – again no serious studies on that day. Don’t attempt to study anything new just before the