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Overcoming exam phobia
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May 2008: It is a common experience of my teaching life, and the teacher community would
also agree with me, that more than 50 per cent of students suffer from an
examinations phobia.
It doesn't matter whether the student is intelligent
or not. They all worry about forgetting or overlooking something or the other
while appearing in an exam, not being able to recall important facts at the
appropriate time and, most importantly, ending up with a low score or failing.
And these fears become barriers in their performance, especially during exam
time. |
I want to share through this piece some of the major reasons
leading to exam phobia along with some ways that can come in handy in helping
students beat the fear and enjoy the learning process.
Most teachers as a
general practice in schools target their teaching either directly or indirectly
towards the exams. Being focused on that, they highlight the same for the
students as well like emphasiszing the need to complete much of the syllabus
before the exams, working on important topics that may come in the exams, revise
the lessons before the exams, etc.
The students too, as a result of this,
feel that exams are the most important thing. With that settled, they too start
focusing on exams while living with a feeling of dread instead of enjoying their
classes.
But before discussing ways to help students beat this fear, it
would also be helpful to examine the facet of fear.
Sometimes fear is
related to a specific subject as a result of which your confidence may rise or
fall only when tested in that subject.
Students might also fear the
punishment that would be awarded to them by their parents or teachers on getting
low marks. Because if God forbid, they measure less on their expectations, they
are not just punished for it by the teachers in the form of having to write the
correct answer 10 times or sometimes even 100 but the parents too show their
disappointment by ignoring them for several days.
Another aspect is being
retained in the same class on failing the finals. In addition to all this, the
students know that the teachers always appreciate those who get the highest
marks in class so simply getting good or average grades is not good
enough.
At this stage, when the students find themselves disinterested in
their studies due to exam phobia, the role of the teachers in encouraging them
to just do their best becomes even more important.
So how can a teacher
help the agonising young minds to lose their fear of exams? The following tips
may come in handy:
• Make your students aware of the fact that their
getting less marks in the exams will not result in any kind of punishment. Help
them realise that examinations are merely a segment of the learning process used
to explore one's skills. Give the same message to the parents as well.
•
Do make the students understand that the process of learning is far more
important than giving exams. If a student takes an active interest in his or her
studies while not thinking about being tested on it later on, he or she would
automatically gain good marks.
• Appreciate even the slightest
improvement in performances. It will enhance self esteem, making the child want
to learn more and work hard to acquire more good grades. Also share the
improvement in students with the parents which will also do away with the notion
that teachers only call the parents when the child is failing in class.
•
Help them believe in their strengths. All children have their own sets of hidden
potential. Help them realise their good points. For example, some students may
have good handwriting, some might have good presentation skills and so on. Ask
them to use the best of their already existing skills and abilities during the
exam to get better results instead of thinking and worrying about self-created
fears.
• Help the students search out their own areas of weakness. Self
assessment helps in finding out the area within oneself that needs improvement.
For instance, I secured less marks in the exam because: (a) I made careless
mistakes, (b) My presentation was not attractive, (c) My time management needs
improvement, (d) I need to go through the concept with the teacher again and so
on. After making them go through a process of self assessment, facilitate them
to practically work on the weak areas either through tasks given in the
classroom or through homework.
By Asghari Ummulbanin -Dawn
Your Comments
"i agree with this, i think mostly students in our country are victim of this phobea and this is really a badluck and also the cause that our institutions are just producing machines not good human beings."
Name: Arooj Fatima
Email: mohdakbar@yahoo.com
City, Country: Bhattian Chibbian, Pakistan
"infact this isvery true i m also suffering from xams phobia. today when physics paper was distribute i fell dowm unconciously. i m much afraid of xams now. they seem to be hell. sometimes i even think of ending up my life but because of my loving parents i cant do this. i m much afraid dont know what to do."
Name: sonal
Email: lovelysonalupadhyay@yahoo.co.in
City, Country: jamnagar, Gujarat
"its absolutely clear that no one likes exams ....its a trying moment."
Name: andrue kamwendait
Email: kamwendait@gmail.com
City, Country: kenya NAIROBI
"its absolutely true. i m also suffering from examms fobia this year i leaved my board exams such an important exams. as the exams were coming i forgot all my syllabus that i have prepared . the whole prepration that i have done this year wasted. now i m very upset plz help me out..."
Name: mohd nooman
Email: NOOMAN9211@YAHOO.COM
City, Country:rampur,india
"i want to some more about examination phobia"
Name: muhammad asif
Email: m_asif766@yahoo.com
City, Country:pakistan
"I always try to give my best to studies but due to exam phobia I tend to start forgetting what all I have learned and tend to get more nervous to even touch my books when exams are overhead. My life becomes horrible when exams are approaching and i am just unable to bear the tension that I feel when I think of revising, because I feel that I might have forgotten many important things in my syllabus and I am afraid of encountering such a situation when I have forgotten these important things!!! plese help me....somebody!"
Name: Akansha
Email: akki.bluemoon@gmail.com
City, Country:lucknow, India
"I am studying in BA and my exams are starting from tomorrow, I am a victim of xam fobia, yet Ive been studying hard for the last 2 months - daily 10 to 12 hrs but now It seems me like there is nothing inside my mind. Although history had been my favourite subject but now its turning a nightmare for me. I was thinking of suicide but then I dared to tell my papa about it, and was very happy to know that he was with me. He told me to be relaxed and not to worry about the exams. That directed me towards a positive thinking but I am worried about my future that how will I be able to do good in future if I cannot get good marks in this simple exam. pls help me"
Name: Ashish Solanki
Email: ashoomid@yahoo.co.in
City, Country:Agra, India
"I always try to give my best to studies but due to exam phobia I tend to start forgetting what all I have learned and tend to get more nervous to even touch my books when exams are overhead. My life becomes horrible when exams are approaching and i am just unable to bear the tension that I feel when I think of revising, because I feel that I might have forgotten many important things in my syllabus and I am afraid of encountering such a situation when I have forgotten these important things!!! plese help me....somebody!"
Name: hemlata yadav
Email: kkhushi.yadav@gmail.com
City, Country:gorakhpur,india
"To overcome exam phobia I think parents and teachers are the best human instrument to help students .Parents are usually overly focused on the examination than the study, create invisible psychological pressure and contaminate the virgin mind(s) of their children. It's create a perpetual cycle of anxiety i.e. exam phobia. If, parents can assure"
Name: Partha Pratim Roy
Email: parthapratimroy08@gmail.com
City, Country:Sonarpur,kolkata,India
"Well Done ! You have done a good job by this article. Your article making good awareness in todays student life. It is problem of majority students. Keep giving your this kind of contribution. special thanks from me."
Name: same
Email: same266266@gmail.com
City, Country: NY
"can u elaborate this topic for my essay project.. please"
Name: Tanuj Sharma
Email: tanuj_sharma40@yahoo.com
City, Country:mumbai, indiaa
"this is true I also experience this..... you have written a wonderful article.."
Name: vidhi
Email: vidhi.narayan123@gmail..com
City, Country:india
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| Education News | | Updated: 17 May, 2013 |
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