Many Students fear “Exam is a bhooth” Syndrome. Hence parents and counsellors must address the following questions:

• Why some students suffer from examination phobia?
• What is examination phobia?
• Why some students are afraid of examination in-spite of their good efforts?
• Why some students refuse to take examination in-spite of their good preparation?

These are all the questions that are to be answered carefully, to understand the problem of examination fear.

During the days of examination, many parents rush to doctors, counsellors and psychiatrists to seek help for their children from examination phobia. Is it essential for the parents to do this kind of exercise? It does not, if we know something about the logic behind examination.

Remember the story of Michel Angelo, the greatest painter of the World who had taken the greatest risk of correcting a colour mix in one corner of the church when the queen was about to visit He was badly tired no energy to lift brush. But he completed the work at a great risk. For whose sake? The answer is very simple - for own satisfaction.

The morale of the story is that anything we do is for our personal satisfaction. In the same way, the present day students should understand that they can face success and the success is the goal of their life. They should believe the Biblical quotation “Faith can move mountains”.
 
Believe, really believe, a confident Person can move a mountain and that could be you. But unfortunately not many students believe that they can move mountain. So, as a result, many students suffer from phobia - disbelief - lack of self -confidence.

Belief works in confidence building. Belief, that “I am positive” - “I can do” attitude, generates the power of self - confidence and energy to do. When you believe ‘I - can-do - it’, then ‘how to - do-it develops’ and drives away the phobia syndrome or fear complex.

Disbelief is a negative power. When the mind disbelieves or doubts, the mind attracts “reason” to support disbelief. Doubt and disbelief are responsible for most failures.

We all recognise the competitive nature of tests. Some rise to the occasion when facing such a challenge. Others are thrown off balance by the ‘fear’. In-fact, for years students are writing their examination. For the most part, they have been successful. All this experience, coupled with confidence, demonstrates that students are pretty good. What they (you) need is a signal that they are successful test takers, in - spite of a little here and there.

There are many causes for phobia like laziness, tension, fear anxiety, and habit of postponement of  studies.

Look at the example given below:

Many students in the month of, June-July feel that there is a lot of time to begin their studies. They never bother about October, December and March months. They feel that October is far away from June, December is far away from October and March will come next year. They are all called the lazy people and are unconscious about their time management. This is the first stage of developing examination phobia in the mind. Slowly when the examination date approaches they settle down to read: They cannot make any headway. Suddenly, all the subjects become important and you cannot make anything good or bad. They are frustrated. Tension mounts. Result is that parents run around, the Doctors and Counsellors.

Moral: Think of the time now and for the final examination. Plan the time efficiently. Time management is the most crucial aspect in one’s career. One should understand what they must do, what they should and what they want to do and finally about what they should not, do priorities the activities, planning ahead of the examination. Definitely you are free from examination fear.

Not a big zero:
Not a big zero concept of self can help one to realise that preparing for an examination is not in itself the task of life-but it’s merely a part of the continuum of life.

Take extra tests that give extra help:
One of the good ways of overcoming examination fear is to take extra tests. They provide extra help. They also help one to overcome unacceptable levels of test anxiety.

Solve old papers:
Collect old question papers and practise them to get away from the anxiety.

Focus on the final examination:
A month or two before the final examination will not suffice for right preparation. If you have trouble of concentration or your preparation for the examination here is a mantra. Prepare a time chart. Include all subjects. Shed unwanted things. Identify most important topics.      
Discuss with your teacher and parents, your strengths and weaknesses. Concentrate on your weaknesses by allotting more time for the subjects of importance. At the same time strengthen your strong areas. Like Arjuna in Kurukshetra focus on Bhishma and Karna. Believe that success is in your hands.

Lower your Anxiety quotient (AQ):
Please control your AQ. Read the suggestions given below to lower your anxiety quotient.

• Analyse the question paper. Understand blue print of the question paper.
• Analyse time to be devoted to essay, short answer and objective type questions.
• Look at marks allotted for each question and attempt the questions, where you can score most.
• Will I be penalised for wrong answers? ask this question to yourself. 
• With the help of teachers construct marking scheme and scoring key.
• Take a pre-test to lower your AQ.
• Relax well. The adrenaline rushing through your system may not take instant retrieval if   you fail to relax.
• The simplest technique of relaxation is deep breathing. Just lean back in your chair, and relax   your muscles, close your eyes and take a deep breath.
• Meditate in the morning will greatly help. Meditation is nothing but concentration on the   object of your choice.
• If you feel sleepy and tired on a particular day, go to bed. Relax for an hour. During rest   do not entertain any ideas about your examination.
• Get your subject doubts clarified immediately by your teacher
• Don’t use any tablets to reduce your tension or anxiety. Take a break of five minutes  between your study schedule. Enjoy the quiet night and its peacefulness. It refreshes your   mind and learners the tension and anxiety.
• Try to recall and write the key points learnt by you on a particular day, before you go to bed.
• Test check often, whether you can recall, what you have studied earlier.

This is essential because you may forget what you have learnt a few days ago. Remember an agriculturist, after harvesting keeps the soil fertile again by watering it. In the same way you also recall and take frequent tests to remember subject matter. Constant recall of previous knowledge keeps your brain active with old information.
Visit the Examination place in advance
If you are taking a test in a new surroundings, visit the place and locate it earlier to exam. Check out the location. This relieves you from the anxiety on the day of examination.

Don’t Eat Junk food. Eat right food
Link between examination stress and right food is nothing new. There exists a strong relationship between good food and the mental state of a person. For example, anxiety leads to loss of proteins and vitamin A, C and K. It is therefore important that students taking examinations should not neglect their nutritional needs during stressful conditions. Stressful conditions have a negative impact on the behaviour and learning capacity of students. Therefore, students are advised not to drink coffee, tea, cool drinks during the days of examination. The students are advised to take balanced diet with pulses, low fat milk, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, small quantities of fat and sugar to combat the examination stress. They are also advised to eat foods rich in vitamin A like fish liver oil, butter milk, green leafy vegetables, carrot, ripe mango, ripe papaya etc.,

Final Tips:

• Don’t loose your self confidence. Develop your self-esteem.
• Do not postpone your studies
• Prepare a time management schedule.
• Prepare your strength and weaknesses record. Concentrate on your weaknesses   strengthen your strong areas.
• Aware of the blue print of the question paper-number of questions, types of questions,   nature of questions and marks allotment.
• Don’t entertain the horrible fear of ‘I can’t’. Develop positive attitude ‘I can’ and ‘I will’.
• Start learning, build confidence, and destroy fear.

“EXAM-EK-BHOOT is nothing but a syndrome.  It has no place in children who have self confidence. So what are you afraid of? Thinking with doubt and fail, you need to Think positive & succeed”