BITSAT 2014: Expert tips to combat exam stress!

Exams are an inevitable part of human life. They are not only a part of student life, but in fact they are a part and parcel of human life. A characteristic feature of exams is anxiety. It is quite normal to feel some anxiety about exams. Yes, you read it right! Everybody feels nervous while taking exams but the thing that matters is that you should not allow it to get out of control.

Those vying for a seat in the prestigious institutes like the IITs and BITS Pilani have to take various arduous exams like JEE Main, IIT JEE Advanced and BITSAT. If you are one of those aspirants then the idea of competing with lakhs of students must have started taking a toll on your lives.

Some of the indicators of examination stress include sleepless nights, troubled thoughts, loss of appetite and trembling hands. This form of stress can actually ruin your results. Hence, it is important to fight stress and examinations pressure at the right point so that it cannot have a negative impact on your performance.

For those taking the BITS Pilani entrance exam, given below are some of the pointers that can help you tackle exam pressure and improve your scores:

• Have faith in yourself: You need to have faith in yourself and believe that you are preparing for the exam because you have the ability to get through. Don’t underestimate yourself and don’t ever doubt your abilities.  

• Instead of fretting, take action: Don’t fret over what all you couldn’t cover. If you are not able to understand some topics, take help from some senior, friends or teachers. Don’t waste your time in worrying about what if a question comes from that particular section.  

• Prepare wisely: Those who leave everything for the last moment are bound to be the worst affected and anxious. BITSAT cannot be considered a cakewalk. In order to be successful, you need to be smart enough to adopt the correct strategy in the right direction.  

• Focus on all five areas: BITSAT not only tests the subject knowledge but also tests aptitude and English proficiency of candidates. Hence, those who work on all five areas from the beginning itself are sure to be successful and face less stress than those who ignore some sections. Moreover, you must refer good quality study material for BITSAT preparation and good quality BITSAT books so that you don’t face problems at the end.  

• Don’t over pressurize yourself: Accept the fact that BITSAT is a highly competitive exam and qualifying it is not an easy task. Be contended with your performance. Even if your parents or relatives have high expectations from you, do not get buried under the heap of expectations. Just try your level best and don’t think about results. 

• Don’t panic: It has often been witnessed that stress is at its peak when BITSAT is just few days away. Students start getting panicky and in anxiety they start forgetting important concepts. This must be avoided. BITSAT just tests basic concepts and formulae. Hence, those who have strong basics can ace the exam with ease.

• Healthy diet: It is extremely important to have a healthy diet in days of excessive stress. Skipping meals only triggers anxiety and can have a negative impact on your health. The diet must comprise healthy cereals, fruits and veggies to keep your blood sugar stable. Protein intake is a must to keep you going.

• Practice previous year papers of BITSAT: Once you cover a good portion of syllabus, you must attempt several mock test papers of BITSAT. This helps you in getting acquainted with the trend of questions asked in the paper and also helps in identifying the weak areas.

• Meditation and yoga: Don’t restrict yourself within the four walls of your room. Practice some meditation as it relieves stress and improves concentration. Yoga also helps in infusing positive energy. Plan some morning walks as it’ll make you feel fresh.    

• Vent out your feelings: Don’t keep things bottled up as this will worsen the situation. This can lead to depression and can have a negative impact on your performance in BITSAT. Share your problems with your parents or siblings. But do not share your feelings with an already stressed person.

• Do not ignore recreation: Recreation is extremely important to curb examination pressure. Take frequent breaks after completing some portion of syllabus. This makes you feel light and keeps you infused with positive energy.     

Once the exam is over, forget everything about it. Pondering over what you did, what could have done or what others did would just disturb your peace of mind. Accept the fact that now nothing is in your hands and whatever happens will happen for your good. It was just another exam of life which has already gone, so just gear up for the next one!!