EXAM STRESS - AND HOW TO BEAT IT
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A modest amount of stress and anxiety can provide valuable
stimulus that gets us to study and prepare, otherwise we might not
bother to put in our best effort. However, many children worry too
much about tests and this can lead to them not sleeping, drinking
alcohol and getting headaches
Other bad symptoms can be:
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Nightmares
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Depression
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Suicide
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Exams are one of the most stressful of experiences we routinely
endure and inflict on others and everybody deals with them
differently.
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Managing Stress
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Firstly, not all
stress is bad for us - the trick is to get the dose right. If
you find exams to be relaxing, or pure pleasure, then you must
be misunderstanding something! A modest amount of stress and
anxiety can provide valuable stimulus that gets us to study
and prepare, otherwise we might not bother to put in our best
effort. Anxiety is normal. The exam results are important to
you, and not entirely predictable - anyone can be anxious
about that. But you don't need to become so anxious that
you're crippled by fear. You need to control the anxiety, and
not let it control you. You're the boss, even if it doesn't
feel like it.
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DOs
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DON'Ts
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- Plan! Try to work to a revision timetable - start planning well
before exams begin.
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- Don't leave revision to the last minute.
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Summarise! Make your books, notes and essays
easier to work with by using summary notes, headings, sub-headings, highlighting and
revision cards. Try using key words or anagrams. Get tips
on other revision techniques from teachers and friends - do
what works for you.
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Control what you can control, and don't
waste time getting worked up over what you can't control.
We don't like being in situations where we can't be
entirely in control of what happens, especially when the
result really matters to us.
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- Revise! Everyone revises differently and is
better at different times of day - find out what routine suits
you best - alone or with a friend; morning or late at night;
short, sharp bursts or longer revision sessions.
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- Don't get into a rut. don't forget that there is a life beyond revision and exams.
Relax and take breaks often.
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- Prepare long term! Take notes of important points when revising as an aid for
future revision or if you need to clarify something with a
teacher. Try explaining the answers to tricky questions to
someone else, or look at past exam papers and try answering
some of the questions.
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Don't make your own anxiety such a big
deal that it frightens you. Remove yourself from anxiety, if
you have friends who get very anxious, wish them well, but
don't spend time with them as anxiety can be infectious. If
you have friends who take things calmly, time spent with them
may help you too.
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- Ask for help if there are things you don't understand. If
you're feeling stressed out, talk to someone.
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- Don't try to cope on your own
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- Don't cram ALL night before an exam.
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- Encourage yourself. Give yourself a good pep
talk.
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- Don't avoid revising subjects you don't like or
find difficult.
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- Do Stay Healthy, exercise, eat well, take breaks
and get enough sleep
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