Dear
Students, I am sure you've probably been hearing the same suggestions from your
parents since you were in primary school - “If you don't get good grades, you won't get
into a good college, you won't get a good job and you'll end up with a useless job
and not be succesfull”.
Well,
it is true that your parents are right as academic performance really does
affect what fields you can get into and what type of job you can have in the
future. After all, you wouldn't expect a student with 40% marks to get into IIT
or into Medical or Engineering Colleges. So, it is natural that students start
getting anxious and spend sleepless nights worrying about the upcoming exams.
They may experience negative thoughts and unpleasant physical symptoms which
prevent them from performing to the best of their ability. Students, just
relax! You need not worry. It is wise to remember that exams are not here as a
punishment. Instead, they are a good way of testing how much you have learnt
and understood over the year.
Whether
you are taking the CBSE X & XII Board Exams or PMT, PET, IIT- JEE, CAT or
appearing for any other Entrance Exam, you should not worry. Don’t get
over-anxious, it never helps. Whether you're in High School, College, or
University, constantly dealing with stress and pressures can have a big impact
on your overall academic success .
1. Stress Affects Your Health
Stress
suppresses your immune system, which causes increased susceptibility to
contracting viruses and health problems like headaches and upset stomach, and I
am sure I don't need to tell you that if you're sick, you won't be able to give
100% to your classes. You may not feel up to studying or you could suffer
further from missing classes. If stress is causing physical symptoms, it's time
to consult a professional therapist or stress management consultant.
2. Stress Affects Your Memory
Retention
Students
who experience large amounts of stress in their lives often have trouble with
memory retention. When you're stressed, you're more likely to forget the facts
and figures presented in class, and you'll be less likely to successfully
recall this information on tests, labs and on real life applications.
Obviously, this is a problem for anyone who wants to do well in college, so try
to identify and remedy the causes of stress in your life if you find you're
forgetting more than you retain from your classes.
3. Stress Causes Anxiety
Students
who face a tremendous amount of stress may also suffer from anxiety - ranging
from mild cases of worry to severe cases of stress. If you're suffering from
anxiety at any level, you'll find that you can't focus as well on your school
work or on other aspects of student life like extra-curricular activities and
personal relationships with your friends & family.
4. Stress Can Make You into a Nervous
Wreck
Stress
can turn an ambitious student into one who's nervous and unsure about the
future. It's easy to witness a certain level of anxiety when you have a test on
Monday, an assignment due for submission on Wednesday and a Debate to prepare
for on Friday - but don't let these little things affect your drive for
success. If you find yourself thinking that there's no way you'll get
everything done, try breaking large tasks down into smaller pieces and tackle
them one bit at a time.
5. Stress Affects Your Self-Esteem
Students
who feel overwhelmed by stress may experience feelings of guilt and
hopelessness, causing their self-esteem to falter. If you've been late in
handing over your assignments , it's easy to feel like you'll never get back on
track - but don't think like this! If you get too caught up in your stumbles,
you'll lose track of all the positive strides you've made in your studies.
Remind yourself of all the good things you've accomplished so far and find
small, concrete ways to get back on the right path.
6. Stress Can Lead to Health Problems
It's
easy to let the competing academic and personal priorities of being a student
get the better of you as a student, and it can become difficult to see outside
all this stress. As a result, many students - particularly University students
- end up dealing with depression.
So
my dear students …If you're ever feeling that there's no way out of the stress
you're under, seek proper care immediately,
speak to people who understand what
you're going through and can help you
work through the stress you're dealing with. Your parents are your best
confidants so confide in them and allow them to help you to out.
Tina Olyai
Director
LAHS
www.lahs.org
