Examinations of every hue are about to strike every school and college in town. The education system cannot do away with its ceaseless obsession with exams. The students, now in the midst of intense preparation, afford to be lax.

February is bound to push the stress levels high up, before March and April arrive with a testing bang!
Former Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor and psychologist  M S Thimmappa had observed the students' fate for years. Lack of planning, he says, is one reason for the students getting stressed out. Students who follow their study time table well and study throughout the year, will tackle the exams well, he says.

As he puts it, it’s not how long you study but how well you study. “A student might study for hours together but if he fails to recall what he has studied then it's a problem. Recollection is therefore important,” he added.

Competitiveness, parental expectations, and pressure to perform well are factors that cause stress in students, explains Dharitri Ramaprasad, a clinical psychologist. For proof, she cites the increasing number of students seeking counselling at the examination compared to normal days. “There is a 30 per cent increase in students approaching us during examination. In some cases, we have the students themselves volunteering for help while in others the parents bring the children.”

Psychologists also agree that parents fail to identify stress in children and seek medical help only when the situation goes out of control. Sleeplessness, lack of concentration, dryness in mouth, mood swings are some of the signs of the stress.

Stress-free examinations could be a reality if students draw a study plan and strictly adhere to it. “Students should not cram or panic. There are some students who study many subjects at a time. Instead they should study one subject at a time. Above all, recalling what one has studied is  important as it boosts confidence level,” reiterates Prof Thimmappa.

Prasanna R, a Class 12 student of National Public School at Banaswadi, is one confident exam planner. This engineering course aspirant will be writing various competitive exams – CET, AIEEE and IIT besides his board exam. His study schedule involves 18 hours of studying during holiday and four hours a day, if there is school.
Does he get stressed? “No”, pat comes the reply. In the words of Dharitri Ramaprasad, it's important to relax and remain calm during the examinations as only undisturbed mind will be able to grasp things. Experts suggest the students do breathing exercises, stretching and some yogasanas.

Examination boards - Pre-University and CBSE - have introduced a novel concept of distributing question paper 15 minutes before the commencement of the exam.  Reason: to reduce anxiety in students.
Distributing question paper 15 minutes before the exam will give them ample time to read the questions carefully and answer them, they reason.

While the PU board has introduced the concept this year, the CBSE has received good response from both parents and students. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan Education Officer S D Chakrabarti says in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) counselling centres have been set up, where counsellors, who are also teachers', are trained by NCERT. “They interact with the students, try to understand their problem and provide solution.”

At the Air Force School in Jalahalli parents are also counselled besides students. “We will tell the parents not to pressurise the students to get more marks in the exam and instead encourage them to perform better,” says B S Jayashree, Principal of the school. Students are told not to stay up till late at night and take good care of health.
Some educational institutions claim to have rooted out stress through year-long training.  For instance, at the Venkat International Public School, the students are regularly monitored.

“If we identify any slow learners  we give them individual attention and provide extra coaching. By the end of the year, the student will be able to cope with the stress,” explains School Chairman T Balakrishna.

Orientation programme is the technique employed by Christ PU Junior College. Its Student Welfare Officer P M Varghese explains: “We have a series of tests and exams conducted throughout the year. So students preparing for these tests and exams would find it easier to prepare for the final exams.”