|
How
do you cope with exam pressure?
 Exams
are round the corner. And the most anxious ones are
children and, of course their parents. No parties, late
evenings or outings. 'Burn the midnight oil' is the
password.
One wonders about what causes stress in parents when
it is actually the child who is appearing for his/her
exams.
Listed below are some of the causes of stress in
parents:
-
Parents' high expectations from their children.
-
Poor disciplining, leading to poor study habits
in children.
-
Discrepancy between the ability of the child and
parental expectations.
-
Exam-phobia and other anxiety symptoms in the child.
The following tips could ease the tension of parents
-
Remember that children are very tense during this
period. Therefore, parents
need to be extra sensitive to their needs
during this time.
-
Make sure you are at home in the evenings. Avoid
going to parties and other social gatherings.
-
Even if your child is intelligent, self-sufficient
and studies all by himself/ herself, it
is still important that the parents are at home
while the child studies.
-
It would really help to tell her/him to get back
to her/his books and that you
will help her/him with the respective subject.
-
Get
involved with the child's studies. It could
be helping her/him organising his/her study pattern.
But never show over-involvement.
-
When the child is studying make sure that the
other members of the house
do not get into heated arguments or joke or laugh
loudly. This tends to distract the
child considerably.
-
Make sure that the
child has nutritious food to eat.
Reward the child with some delicacies, because the
child is sacrificing other pleasurable activities
during this time.
-
Do
not be negative in your statements to the child.
Never say things like, "I know you are going
to do badly this time." Rather, be positive
while speaking to the child. Encouraging words like,
"You can do well, don't worry,"
will make the child happy.
-
Do
not allow your anxieties to be perceived by the
child. On the other hand, show the child
that you have complete confidence in her/his abilities.
In general, during this period, a lot of stress can
be avoided if we redefine our attitudes and reflect
on what issues are of concern to us with regard to the
child. But
your
expectations need to be realistic.
Tips for students:
Realise that knowledge is power and the key to success.
Studies are as important as watching TV and playing.
Be organised so that both work and play go hand in
hand.
Gather details about different courses so that you
have a wide choice of careers.
Choose a course you are comfortable in, not one that
might bring in more money!
Never dismiss outright the views and suggestions of
elders.
Never be disheartened by setbacks. Remember they are
stepping stones to success and life always gives you
a second chance.
|
