Gauri Chhabra
Exams. We all have to take them at some point in our lives. Working towards exams can make us feel a lot of pressure, especially in Grade XII when we are at the threshold of choosing a career, college and a degree.
It’s that time of year when a vast majority of the 18-year-olds has to undergo immense stress due to the Public exams they have to undertake at the end of XII. They snowball into a high level of significance as the marks serve as cut offs for entry into prestigious colleges.
It is a vicious cycle- the cut offs soar every year on account of the marks being doled out to the students. More marks mean higher cut offs which in turn lead to more stress on marks.
Interestingly, marks can signal a number of things: the examiner’s mood, the competence of the one who set the paper, an examinee’s writing speed or their capacity to memorize, for instance. What they will not reflect are aptitude and intelligence.
I would say we can use stress as a fuel for high performance, it has been proved that oxytocin, the much-discussed “cuddle hormone” that warms your heart when you hug someone, actually is produced in stressful situations. It helps you turn a freeze-or-flee mindset into a productive one.
It puts you in a social state of mind and opens you to getting assistance from other people. Many athletes harness stress to “get jacked” for their games, yet those same people would be spooked by an exam in English class. In one case, the stress helped them perform, and in the other case it now corroded clear and confident thinking. But the stress hadn’t changed-only their relationship with it had.
When asked does the thought of appearing for Board exams scare you, Remandeep Singh, XII (Medical) Guru Nanak Public School, Ludhiana says
“No, I do not think appearing for Board exams will scare anyone but one can say it is challenging. With hard work and patience, one can achieve anything. Moreover, our school has been preparing the students in a very good manner.
Everybody dreams of getting admission in his dream college .And for medical students it is AIIMS ,no doubt my favorite is also AIIMS but I consider other colleges equally good .It is not the name of college that matter ,but the study matters ,so I consider DMC,CMC also a good choice”.
Do you feel stressed by the need to score high? If yes, how are you dealing with it?
Yes, there is tension and stress by seeing the so high cut offs for the dream colleges. But again the answer to this problem is hard work. I prefer to solve sample papers and previous’ years papers to prepare best.
How do you plan to utilize the time left for examination?
Along with Board exams I have to prepare for NEET, I go to tuitions in the morning where I take up test series. I am thinking to devote more time on self- study and practice.
Can you share your stress Management and Time Management strategy?
Everyone in this stage feels stress. But according to me, it is one of the problems that lead to one failure, so one should avoid it. I prefer to take short breaks in between studies .I also like to share time with my family and friends .One more thing one should not focus on one career ,like along with M.B.B.S, I have thought of Plan B.
Make proper schedule and most importantly follow it, devote equal time to every subject one should not avoid English and optional subject while being busy with PCB/PCM.
Where do you see yourself after 5 years from now?
After 5 years I see myself as a doctor who will be preparing for test or admission in P.G.I .I want to study till D.M but that is my dream. If that’s not possible, I might go for Pharmacy.
Soaring cut offs scare Neelesha Dhawan, XIi (Commerce), Drishti Dr RC Jain Innovative Public School, Narangwal. She answers to some questions :
Does the thought of appearing for Board exams scare you?
Yes, it does scare me a lot and even more so as only a month is left. I wish to seek admission to Delhi University, which has a very high cut off. So many students across the nation are aspiring to join D.U, which makes it all the more challenging. The constant fear of “if” and “but” in is really nagging.
What university are you aiming at? Why?
I aim to enter admission in Delhi University and I wish to Graduate in Economics (Hons.) and pursue Business Journalism from New York University as I have a flair for writing. Getting to D.U would be a dream come true, and with rich experience, I plan to make not only a smashing resume but also very good memories.
With soaring cut offs for admissions to Delhi University, do you feel stressed by the need to score high. If yes, how are you dealing with it?
Yes, it makes me feel usually stressed but I make a time table which I’m following since mid December. Also I googled a number of tips which I would like to share like, take at least 8 hours of sleep, make a time table using (SMART) techniques [s=specific, M= measurable, A=acceptable, R= realistic, T=time bound].
How do you plan to utilize the time left for examination?
I watched a TED talk a few days back by Douglas Bortien who emphasized on the habits of toppers. The best tip in the whole video was to practice a lot of sample papers. We spend a lot of time in learning and memorizing, but our brain does not how to “use this information so it will be using time strategy for all subjects. While Dillpreet Kaur, XII(Non-Medical), Guru Nanak Public School, Ludhiana shares her feelings in the following manner.
Does the thought of appearing for Board exams scare you?
Yes, of course appearing for board exams is scaring me because it is for the first time I am appearing and doing anything first time makes everyone scary and nervous Moreover, I am not very confident in Physics.
What college/university are you aiming at? Why?
I want to take admission in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in B.Tech in Food Technology as I want to become a senior Food Manager in renowned companies in food production like PepsiCo & Amul.
With the help of my parents and teachers I scheduled a plan for my examinations. A regular test series for every subject and more time devotion to self study rather than going for tuitions.
Can you share your Stress Management and Time Management strategy?
Whenever I feel stressed, I remember God Almighty and do Paath of “Mool Mantra” and pray him to relieve me from tension. I also share my problems with my parents and teachers who guide me every time and motivate me.
Everyone knows time is very precious, it never stops, I also try to make my time table so that I can give equal time to every subject. I always try to take half hour for my day in which I can sit with my parents.
What can parents do?
– Resist the urge to step in
Exams are a pretty stressful time for students. The level of expectation is enormous, and when so much is riding on the result it puts a huge burden on young shoulders.
A survey of 1,000 teenagers taking exams this time found that almost eight out of 10 expected the stress to affect their health, appearance or mental state. One in 10 expects not to have time to shower or change their clothes and one in five say they will likely not leave the house for days. In the face of this, it is natural for parents to want to help. But sometimes students just want to be left alone. The worst things parents can do or say is:” Shouldn’t you be studying?”, “Just do your best”, “Can you really think with that music on?”, “If you’ve put in the time you’ll be OK, confiscate your mobile phone, micromanaging your revision calendar. Many of these complaints fall into the category of “Please leave me alone. Parents have to resist the urge to step in, even when they see their child is stressed.
Summing up:
Since the exam boards dole out 90-plus percentages with the kind of generosity that makes Missionaries of Charity seem like a hedge fund and the applicant to seat ratio is disproportionate, this cycle of an inflation of marks would go on and lead to stress. It all depends on how you use it to your advantage or manage it. This will determine your road map both in terms of careers and colleges.
For queries contact gauri_nagpal @yahoo.com
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