Beat exam stress

Suja

The ‘E’ word is something every student is wary of. As soon as exams begin to loom over their heads, stress levels start increasing. The nearer they get, the more their heartbeat quickens. At a time like this, what do they do to stay sane and focussed? Some students reveal their secrets.

Visudha Nagarajan, III B.A. English Literature, Women's Christian College

When checkmated by exam stress, I take a clean sheet of paper and scribble on it to my heart’s content, until every bit of space is used up. Then, I tear it to shreds. Besides being a non-violent way to vent out my frustration, it actually makes me think that I've disposed of the negative feelings. Sometimes, I go for a 'ten-minute me-time' where I sit in the darkest corner possible and try to come up with new strategies. Reassuring myself by envisioning the post-exam-me also helps to keep anxiety at bay. But nothing can beat the power-hugs my

amma gives me!

Antara Chakraborthy, III B.A Journalism, MOP Vaishnav College for Women

I am the kind of person who is adept at running away from my problems. So, I do the same when I am worried about my exams. Doing everything to not remind myself about the exam is my mantra for busting exam-related stress. Binge-watching TV shows like Sherlock, Modern Family, House etc and losing myself to 1980s rock bands like Guns n Roses and Queen are two effective ways I deal with exam anxiety. I also have a ritual of taking a bath in the middle of the night. For some inexplicable reason, it helps me a lot.

Reshma G., III M.Sc. Electronic Media, Anna University

As a fresh set of notes keep coming through Whatsapp till the last minute, one needs to know how to stuff all of them in the brain with ease. To do this, I usually use pictorial representation for what I study. For example, to remember face-to-face communication, I scribble down two circles with an arrow in between.

In worst cases, if I have no clue about what I'm reading, I make a funny story out of it and it helps me remember the points.

Suja Savidham, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, M.A. Malayalam, Thrissur, Kerala

If I feel tense, I sing loudly whatever I'm studying in the most horrible tune, and after a few minutes I feel relaxed. Sometimes, I think of my competitor’s face and imagine him gloating if I get low marks, which boosts up my speed. I also colour code important passages in textbook to memorize them easily. But what helps boosting my confidence the most is pasting the syllabus in my study room and striking out the portions that I have completed.