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Plan in advance to do away with exam blues

Khaleej Times talked to a cross section of people to get an insight into how students, parents, schools and psychologists are tackling the situation.

Mysa Jehangir, a student of Grade XI in the International School of Choueifat, says she starts preparing much in advance and studies at regular basis to beat the stress. “I plan well. During the exams, I make it a point to take occasional breaks and listen to music, surf the Net and sometimes, even go to some mall with my friends. This helps me relax before the big day. I also try to break the monotony by switching between different subjects.”

Krishna Nair, a parent, is extremely careful not to breathe down her son’s neck nor does she force him to study. She concedes that the month-long examination period is stressful for kids. “Even though my son is out playing, he doesn’t look relaxed. Parents often tend to feel that their children are never studying enough, no matter how much they prepare. It is important to create a balance,” she points out.

Nair suggests that a little planning can help breeze through this strenuous phase. She helps her son to chalk out a schedule and ensures that the study time is spread out over the day, instead of continuous, long working hours. “This ensures that children aren’t over-fed with information,” she says.

The most important thing for parents, Nair believes, is that they do not add to the anxiety of children. She doesn’t interfere with her son’s routine. Instead, she encourages him to bear the onus of sticking to his schedule. Interestingly, before exams, they watch movies together. She also encourages him to channelise his energy into playing tennis or other physical exercises. “This brings down the stress and helps him cope better with the exam stress. I also make sure he sleeps and eats well,” she adds.

Renuka Shah, another parent, is equally careful not to push her daughter to study hard. She helps her child plan and sometimes, on the insistence of her daughter, goes through the past question papers with her.

Dubai-based clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr Raymond H. Hamden, points out that parental expectations can be quite devastating for a child. It is the parent’s ambition that can create anxiety, resulting into the child’s inability to respond to things they know.

“First and foremost, exams should be viewed as a celebration of progress, and not as a funeral. Exams should help promote a sense of well being and self worth among children,” notes Rob Stokoe, principal of the Jumeirah English Speaking School.

“Our teachers talk to the students on a daily basis before the exam and remind them that exams are not the end of the world. We have preparation papers and encourage students to look it as a positive challenge. Also, we do not attach undue importance to exams. Rather, we treat the exams as a normal part of the curriculum,” he says.

In fact, the school will soon have an educational psychologist to work with the students from next year. “This will help tap the strengths and weaknesses of the students,” he said.

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