EXAMINATION STRESS

• It is common for students to feel a certain amount of pressure when exam week is nearing. This is just normal to feel pressure and anxiety, however, too much of it is not good. High anxiety level and pressure can affect not just the studying habits of the student but also their daily lives. It is important for the students to know the root cause of their stress and anxiety so that they can have a better understanding of it and they can also limit or avoid it.
• Some students feel more pressure not on their ability to study but on the expectations of the people around them. Parents, teachers and even friends expect the student to get a high grade. This external pressure creates too much stress on the student. Students who feel this pressure are those working for scholarships and students who constantly get high grades. Other external pressure may include competing with other students for high grades. Competition is healthy but taking it too seriously and thinking about how others will fare on their exam is not good for the student.
• Imposing too much pressure on oneself is also one cause of exam stress. Students who put too much pressure on themselves always think about the outcome of their test. They are too afraid to get a low score they constantly think about the exam. Too much worrying and pressure can surely cause exam stress.
• The last cause of exam stress is the lack of preparation on the part of the student. Cramming and last minute studying always leads to nervousness and anxiety because the student knows he or she is not prepared well enough for the test. Students who rush their studies also has lack of sleep so if you combine all these factors, the result is exam stress.