No night outs before D-day please

Daniel Indrupati Here are a few preventive steps that can be taken to keep test anxiety at bay: Exercise It's quite common to ignore exercise when competitive exams are nearing. But exercise has plenty of benefits. Primarily, it acts as a great stress-buster. Next, it improves the blood flow to the brain, thus assisting in enhancing one's overall performance.

Good Sleep Getting a good eight-hour sleep is vital. Studies have proven that retention levels drop due to lack of sleep. This might severely affect one's performance in the entrance. So staying awake in the night and cramming for the exam is a strict 'No'. Arriving Early Arriving well in advance at the centre is another important aspect. Students should always set aside a margin for error and start early from the house. These are trivial issues but if not heeded to could act as devastating deterrents.

Revision A strategic review is essential to stay at the top level of one's performance. Students can use past entrance papers to organise and structure their notes. Keep apart a few hours in a day to go through portion in a phased manner so as not to miss out on anything that's critical. Self testing The benefits of self-testing though not clearly visible in earlier stages will prove to be of immense help later. A mock test assists the student to analyse his performance in terms of subject matter, time utilised and errors committed. All these provide vital feedback, which can lend a hand to improve one's overall performance.

Strategic Answering It's beneficial to approach the exam with a strategy in mind. Answering questions that are easy first builds up confidence. Eliminate wrong answers on multiple-choice questions takes a step closer to the right answer. Having an overview of an essay and jotting down major points will all have a positive influence. J Michael Preetham, Assistant Professor at Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT), says, "Entrance exams are very pressurising considering that numerous individuals vie for limited seats. I believe a solid long term approach is an ideal learning plan to succeed. Strangely, I have come across students who do last minute night-outs. Night-outs not only upset the natural rhythm but kick off anxiety, causing stress levels to shoot up thus affecting the performance of the student". Test anxiety is something that needs to be taken seriously as psychologists are of the opinion that average students who are less prone to text anxiety can perform better in exams than intelligent students who are prone to test anxiety. Dr. John Thomas, a reputed psychologist from Genesis Psychology and Life Skills Centre, underscoring the importance of tackling this critical issue, says there are various ways to deal with anxiety. Believing in oneself, planning ahead, staying positive, performing as well as one can, associating with people with positive mental attitude�.are a few among them. He vouchsafes these steps, if followed diligently, can guide students towards staying mentally alert and performing well in exams. However, it's essential that students keep in mind that it's not always academic results that count, health counts too!