Coping With Exam Phobia
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Stress is one of the body’s natural responses that we all experience from time to time towards something that is new or frightening. The stress levels of students are usually at an all-time high during major exams, affecting nearly 40 percent of students. The phobia around exams varies depending on the individual’s approach. Some students deal with just butterflies in the stomach or their hearts may skip a beat, whereas some get very anxious and spend sleepless nights. The students may be outstanding at their studies, but when it is time to display their competence through an examination, they often falter due to exam-related stress, impairing their ability to prepare for and perform during exams.
Physical Symptoms
The most common physical symptoms seen in students are excessive sweating, palpitations, nausea, skin breakouts, headaches, and stomach ache.
Cognitive Symptoms
Preoccupation with exams can lead to cognitive and emotional symptoms such as fear of failure, lack of concentration, sense of panic, and their mind going blank. If not dealt with correctly and in time, the symptoms may lead to sadness, anger, depression, severe anxiety, and panic attacks.
Paranoia
Some students are unable to vocalize their fears and start showing signs of irritability by withdrawing into a shell of seclusion. Due to emotional distress, students may end up falling prey to alcoholism and drug abuse.
Solution
First and foremost, it is important to stop avoiding the issue, explore new ways to understand the problem and learn to handle the anxiety more effectively. Effective study skills can overcome the stress of exams by making one feel more in control of your work and more confident of success. Sometimes, if the stress is too much, it can help to accept external assistance to face difficulty. Online Class Help can help you earn good grades by taking your exams for you!
Managing exam stress should be an active process in taking steps to limit its impact. A healthy diet, good sleep, exercise, and fun should be part of the daily routine to keep anxiety away at all times.