Exam Pressure and How to Deal With It: Calming the Storm Before the Big Day
Examinations are important part of student’s journey. But they can’t determine the whole future of a student. In Kashmir, or be it any society for that matter, exams often bring a noticeable shift in lives of the students and their families. For many students, the approach of exam season feels like the arrival of a storm. The pressure to perform can transform a classroom into a high-stakes arena, where self-worth often feels tethered to a grade on a page. Nowadays, there are exam seasons going on in Kashmir. Young students study late into night. Homes have grown quiet. No TV sessions, no games, no cousin meet ups, just the one focus… study! Seeing this atmosphere makes many students question: What if I fail? What if I let my parents down? How will I face the society or my relatives? These thoughts are common. They do not mean that a student is weak or has not prepared enough. They mean that student cares about the result and the body reacts to the high stress. As per recent research, it is so astonishing to see that suicide attempts by teenagers spike during exam period across numerous developed countries. In India, student suicide rates increased 70% from 2011 to 2021 alone, with over 13000 students taking their lives in 2021 or nearly 35 deaths daily. Research studies directly tie as much as 8% of these suicides to the exam stress. Research suggests that academic stress is not just the personal challenge but an “international epidemic” that impacts self- esteem and mental health across cultures.
Evidence-based ways to cope with exam stress:
The exam stress does not just last for the day of test, and it does not end when the paper is submitted to the examiner. A research study found that students feel it before, during, and even after the exams end. The good news is that there are some coping strategies that can be taught to students and practised over time to overcome the stress. Research on Indian adolescents shows that positive coping helps students manage stress in a healthy way and often leads to better marks and well-being.
1. Manage your time
Plan your study schedule in advance. Break the syllabus into small parts and set realistic goals. This avoids the last-minute rush and gives you a feeling of control. A simple cycle works well:
• Set a small target for one topic.
• Revise it at the planned time.
• Test yourself with a practice question.
• Review, then set the next target.
2. Ask for help
Talk to friends, teachers, or tutors when a topic is difficult. You can clear up confusing ideas and share your worries. It also creates a sense of community, so you feel less alone.
3. Change harsh thoughts
Worst-case thoughts such as “If I fail, my life is ruined” make anxiety worse. Replace them with realistic ones. For example, change “I’m rubbish at maths” to “I’ll do better if I make a revision plan and stick to it”.
4. Calm your body with slow breathing
Anxiety makes breathing fast and shallow. To slow it down:
• Sit comfortably with a straight back.
• Breathe in through your nose for about 5 seconds.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Breathe out slowly through your mouth.
• Repeat for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Look after your body
Keep regular sleep, good meals, and exercise, and leave time for breaks and fun.
6. Role of family, peers and teachers
Family, peers, and teachers play an important role in students’ academic well-being. Studies have shown that a supportive family environment, and social support are linked to lower academic anxiety.
What causes exam stress?
The causes are not only academic. They causes are multifactorial which include following:
• Having little or no control over the exam is a major stressor. For instance, a large syllabus with few days left makes a student feel overwhelmed.
• Unrealistic expectation from oneself or from family adds weight to the worry.
• Harsh self-criticism, and irrational beliefs about outcomes for instance “one bad grade ruins everything”
• Student with low self-esteem fears the bad result more.
• Expectations from family and comparison with classmates raises the worry.
• Avoidant coping, few students, rather than preparing for the exam, push the exam out of mind, then delay leaves less time later and creates more panic at the end.
• Lifestyle factors such as Inadequate sleep and not taking enough breaks between preparation, lack of physical activity, less nutritious diet, all lower our ability to handle pressure. If these factors are taken care of, our ability to handle a stressful situation improves multifold.
Signs a student needs support
Family, friends, and teachers watch for these signs:
• Pulling away from family and friends
• Losing interest in favourite activities
• Sleeping or eating much more or much less
• Saying he or she is a burden
• Saying nothing will improve
• Talking about not wanting to be here
• Sudden calm after a long period of distress
Habits students should avoid
• Comparing grades with classmates. Comparison feeds worry.
• Studying through the night. This cuts sleep and weakens memory.
• Scrolling social media between chapters. This splits focus.
• Reviewing answers with friends after each paper. A submitted paper stays submitted.
A closing thought
A single piece of paper can not determine our worth or decide or entire career. We are more than our grades and achievements. Examinations are important part of education but they are not the only measure of what we learn or are capable of achieving.
To those who are preparing for an examination, focus on doing your best rather than trying to meet every expectation around you. If you feel overwhelmed, ask for help, there is no shame in that.
For parents and teachers, the message is equally important. Encourage students to work towards their goals, but remind them their well-being matters more than their grades.
Examinations will come and go. What matters is, not only the marks students receive but the knowledge, confidence, and resilience they develop along the way.
References:
George, A. S. (2024, March 25). Exam season stress and student mental health: An international epidemic. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10840176
Păduraru, M. E. (2019, June). Coping strategies for exam stress. 2nd International Conference on Mental Health Care, Kiev, Ukraine.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333747776_Coping_strategies_for_exam_stress
Roediger, H. L., III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
von der Embse, N., Jester, D., Roy, D., & Post, J. (2018). Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: A 30-year meta-analytic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 483–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.048
Yılmazer, E., Hamamci, Z., & Türk, F. (2024). Effects of mindfulness on test anxiety: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1401467. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1401467