Students spend hours, days, months studying for judgment day. There is an insurmountable amount of stress and anxiety that comes with giving examinations. It’s not just about studying and practicing to get tested, a lot is at stake here. If students don’t perform well in an exam they fear being shunned by parents and also feel left behind in the rat race. A lot of student’s self-worth is deeply based on the marks they score on these exams, which is understandable as that is exactly what the system wants from them. This in turn gives rise to the insane amount of stress and pressure that comes when giving exams.
While many find themselves working well under pressure, such huge amounts of it can overwhelm even the brightest of minds. Students tend to go blank or get a panic or anxiety attack. Rendering all the hard work they put into preparing for the exam is useless. This is the worst possible outcome to come to for any student. So more than the months put into preparation, one single day before is more important. If that single day or that single hour is done right it guarantees you more marks than you ever prepared for. Strategies that relax you and help release stress should culminate in a student’s routine. More than 50% of CBSE students report being under extreme stress before exams and regret not being able to manage it as they were responsible for their loss of marks. The stress experienced increases multifold when it comes to glorified exams of the country, that is, CBSE boards. This article is here to guide you through the day before an exam in a way that you not only manage your stress but also boost your brainpower and capacity.
Before the exam day
Good sleep
The importance of good sleep, if not present in your daily life, comes into play the day before your exam. Without a good night’s rest, your months put into calculus practice are worthless. Especially before math’s paper, sleep helps concentrate and retain information better. You might think you will be able to gather more info by capitalizing on your sleep hours. But that has the opposite effect. As at the time of the exam, you won’t be able to perform because of loss of focus and forget everything learned. Thus, a good 8-9 hours of sleep is essential to avoid losing focus during exam hours.
Protein-rich diet
A protein-rich diet that is not heavy on the stomach is essential for you to feel full and expend energy on its behalf. If your stomach is empty most of your attention will go into listening to its growling. Even though it might not look like much on the outside but you are undergoing strenuous mental activity while giving exams for which you require appropriate nutrition.
Different people have different diet capacities and requirements. A protein-rich diet will give your brain the boost it requires without making it lethargic as a carbs-rich diet would. Increasing your number of meals per day, that is snacking up on healthy alternatives will boost your brainpower and also give you good spurts of energy.
For some, milk is the ultimate source of nutrition while for others it causes indigestion. Therefore it is important for everyone to figure out their own pre-exam meal that doesn’t hurt their tummies.
Multivitamins
Multivitamins can help improve general cognitive function, alertness, creativity, motivation, and can boost memory.
Exercise
A healthy mind belongs to a healthy body. However busy, students should take out time to exercise for at least an hour or half. If your body stays active and keeps pumping blood properly your mind can also afford to do so. Exercising daily also gives you a good opportunity to take a break, shift your attention from studies and relax. It also increases your stamina, therefore increasing your capacity to work for long hours.
Stretch
A few stretching exercises should be practiced when on long hours of work to avoid getting your muscles numb. When in the same position for long hours you are vulnerable to cramps and muscle numbs. If these are kept unchecked, they can cause severe pain and distress which will make you lose further study hours. Therefore it’s important to stretch to remind your brain to use its other functions as well.
Revise
Only a light revision where you gloss over concepts is required a day prior to the exam. Your main focus should be managing your stress and jitters before the exam. Revision when done in the proper manner can help you out in ways you cannot imagine. For many students, revision is the actual part where they learn and retain information. You should refer to important questions that are likely to come in your exams.
Mellow out
Listening to calming and mellow music can help you unwind in the right manner. You must reduce your anxiety and allow your mind to relax in order to properly focus in the coming few hours
Frequent breaks
Allow yourself to take proper breaks in order to recover. You might think you will be able to fit more work in if you work for long hours but that isn’t true at all. Through tried and tested study techniques we now know that studying and taking breaks actually allows you to fit in even more work.
Drink lots of water
Hydration is the key to staying refreshed. Drinking water will rejuvenate you. Keeping a bottle on your desk itself is an important practice to have.
Meditation
Meditation will help you rewind and identify the core nature of your stress and anxiety and give you the tool to destroy them. When in meditation a person can reflect on their actions and decipher their true nature. This helps gain self-awareness and confidence in own’s self.
During exam
Deep breathes
If you feel sudden bursts of panic, the easiest way to calm yourself down is by taking deep breathes. These help slow your heartbeat down and allows you to think about your reality without getting overwhelmed.
Remember posture
There is always a correct posture that is recommended to have while writing exams. Avoid slouching, keep your back and head straight. This helps in keeping your mind straight and focus on the task at hand.
Believe in yourself
Believe in the hard work done by you to get where you are right now. Trust your study process.
With these tips at hand, there will be no force stronger than your own mind during exams.
