Examination Fears/Anxiety

source

Understanding and Overcoming Examination Fears & Anxiety

Examinations — a word that changes the minds of most students, makes them anxious and uncomfortable for the time being. For some students , examination is a challenge for them to prove their educational abilities. For others, it is a time of fear, and anxiety.Exam fear and anxiety is a psychological experience faced by students from all levels ranging from the primary level, university and even the professional levels.

What Is Examination Anxiety?

Examination anxiety is the feeling of intensed fear, or worry that a student gets during or before exams.
It can happen in various ways e.g;

• Shaking/sweating
• Fast heart beat
• Being unable to focus
• Empty mind
• Feeling restless

Examination anxiety does not really mean if a student did not prepare well or not. Infact some well prepared students also experience examination anxiety, due to pressure or sudden expectation.

How exam fear has impacted your academic journey?

Why Do We Fear Exams?

Examination fear is sometimes caused by a combination of psychological and environmental factors, which are;

• Fear of Failure – Worrying about disappointing oneself ,parents, teachers etc .

• Lack of Preparation – Not feeling ready for the exam due to procrastination and time mismanagement.

• High Expectations – Pressure from family, or society to achieve top results, this pressure also makes a student tensed.

• Past Experiences – past poor performance of a student can fuel future anxiety.

• Comparison with Others – Constantly comparing one student’s performance or progress with another.

Effects of Examination Anxiety

If not managed, examination anxiety can have a negative impact on mental health of a student and performance including:

• Bad academic results
• Low self-esteem
• Panic attacks
• Memory loss during exams
• Depression in extreme cases

source

If you could design an exam system, what features would include to reduce student anxiety towards examination?

Practical Tips to Overcome Examination Fear

The best part is that examination anxiety can be managed and reduced with healthy practices. Examples are ;

1. Early and Consistent Preparation
   Avoid last-minute cramming, students develop habit of studying or cramming few hours to the exams, which some eventually goes blank inside the exam room ,best way is breaking your syllabus and studying regularly. Use active recall, mind maps, and past questions for better retention.

2. Create a Study Routine
   A disciplined routine reduces panic and also keeps a student right on track with his activities . Include breaks, revision time, and enough sleep in your schedule.

3. Practice Time Management
   Simulate exam conditions at home. Time yourself while answering mock questions to reduce pressure during the real exam.By doing this you’ll be able to manage time and also know areas you perform well and areas you are also lacking behind.

4. Stay Physically Healthy
   Always eat nutritious meals, and exercise regularly, an healthy body also supports a focused mind.

5. Avoid Negative Self-Talk
   Avoid Negative thoughts like “I’m going to fail” with “I’ve prepared well and I’ll do my best.” Embrace positivity.

6. Get Enough Sleep
   Lack Of Sleep causes dizziness, also one will be unable to focus. Aim for 7-8 of rest .

I invite @imohmitch @promisezella @us-andrew to participate in this contest