There is a myriad of thoughts that can trigger anxiety during tests. The fear of drawing blanks and the anxiety of not pleasing parents, or the thought that the other students in the class know more than you. Anxiety can strike without warning and may cause stomach pains, or chills that can shut down the mind. In college-going students, it can increase when they are studying.

Students who are anxious can get the same outcomes as students who are not anxious. However, their work is much higher and takes longer. The research, conducted using 1,021 students with 33 degrees, shows that the fields that have more anxiety-related students are those in the Social and Legal Sciences, Health Sciences, and technical degrees. Students aged between 23-26 years old are the most affected. As they age the feeling of social responsibility and pressure on the social sphere increases.

Anxiety refers to a state of mind where feelings of fear tension, uncertainty, and fear arise because of the anticipation of an actual as well as a fictitious threat. Continued anxiety can hinder students from reaching their objectives. Learning, taking the test, and passing are all hurdles.

The issue is that we stay clear of situations that can make us feel anxious. For instance, if we avoid taking an exam because we’re too anxious to be successful or we skip studying because we’re stressed and would rather put off studying until we feel comfortable.

• What are the signs to look for? There are indicators that can be easily observed such as intense nervousness from a physiological perspective (palpitations muscles tension or an increase in sweating) and accelerated thinking; anticipating the possibility of failures in the future; blockage (which could make the student not want to attend the classroom) or difficulty falling asleep stomach issues or an increase in anger.
• Anxiety can make it difficult to manage and store information.
• While there is no research that has shown a direct link between anxiety and less academic performance, what is obvious is that it hampers the organization and storage of information, as well as the ability to retrieve that information. Every university must have a room that can provide assistance to students suffering from anxiety in the course of their examinations. Engaging with a professional for 30 minutes prior to the exam will help students gain confidence and calm before going into the classroom.
• Anxiety doesn’t just impact academic performance, but can also lead to health issues. In the year 1986 Ohio State University researcher Janice Kiecolt Glasser reported on the activity of the so-called Natural Killers cells during exam periods for medical students. According to her research, it is believed that the weakening that affects the immune system, or the vulnerability of the organism to illness are just a few of the consequences.
• To prevent and manage this ailment There are a variety of strategies that could prove helpful, however, experts recommend seeking out a doctor to get an assessment and strategy of course of action.
• Don’t alter the pattern of sleep. Sleeping infrequently and in poor quality can affect your mental and physical health. It is important not to alter the timings of bedtime and waking up. Follow the normal sleeping schedule which is between 7 and 8 hours each day. Also, do not sleep for more than 30 minutes. In the evening, trying to process everything that has been sat in limbo is not an alternative. Fatigue can increase the likelihood of being afflicted by mental and anxiety.
• Schedule time for leisure: long hours of studying do not guarantee higher grades. If we don’t know how to relax and rest it is easy to fall victim to stress. To be relaxed and perform at the highest level it is essential to mix in time-outs which allow us to unwind and ease tensions. Being mindful of our requirements and balance is crucial and planning out our leisure time will allow us to maximize the value of our studying hours, knowing ahead that we can reap a reward.
• Control thoughts. It’s not the actual events that cause anxiety and fear, but the interpretation given to them. Negative thoughts, such as “I will never pass this subject”, “this career is too difficult for me”, “I am not good for engineering” or “I am a disaster” as well as others, are the ones that create false perceptions of reality which can worsen physical symptoms and can cause the person to be paralyzed. “It is very important to learn to identify these thoughts (which we all have to a greater or lesser extent) and to dismantle them with a positive response,” experts say. The student needs to tell him, “I’ve had similar experiences before and have emerged triumphant. I’ve prepared myself well and I will succeed.
• Relaxation exercises that address anxiety through relaxation techniques are recommended both during the study period and prior to the test. The student must be aware of the things that are happening to them. Paying attention to breathing, and gradually making it more pronounced and slow helps relax, unwind and begin studying under the best conditions. When taking a test anxiousness may make the student feel like he’s gone completely blank and ideas don’t come to him, however, it’s only a brief feeling. While you study for the exam you’ll be organizing your information and organizing the questions. In order to do this, it is important to sit down and take a long breath. The process of creating an outline of what content will be created can also help.

About the Author: Daniel Howard

Daniel gives life to writing through the power of words. He is a blogger who spends most of his time writing articles for StudyCrumb’s blog. As an actual journalist, he writes essays that resonate with readers.

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There are times when we often think that ‘How I wish my child was not addicted to my phone’ or ‘How I wish my child would spend more time playing those board games like how we did.’. Children today are extremely inclined towards the electronic gadgets which are undoubtedly more attractive and colorful from either their toys or books. The vibrant multimedia in the games gives them a visual pleasure that takes their precious hours and gives them back strenuous eyes. No matter how much ever we try to keep them away from the phones, TV or the smart tabs, the more they are tempted to swipe those screen with their tiny fingers. Researchers have proved that mere 2 minutes of talking or activity with phone can cause severe damage to a child’s brain causing irreparable damage like tumors, disturbed brain activity and lack of average concentration during higher learning. The gadgets act like slow poison on the tender minds which restrain the production of Melatonin, the hormone that controls sleep/wake cycle or Circadian rhythm. World Health Organisation considers mobile phones as “Possible Human Carcinogen” which causes hazardous effects on health like brain tumor, Parkinson’s disease, heart and Alzheimer’s disease and even stroke.

When we parents wish to give our child just the best of the best, avoiding electronic gadgets could be seriously considered as a better option. But it all starts when we take help of our smart phones to feed the kids when they are babies, give them our phones to play games to shoo away their boredom and when we have some work to be completed and we consider the phone as a safe and better option for their pastime. The blame is definitely on the parents who unknowingly push their children into this dreadful pool of diversion.

Technology doesn’t always have bad effects. As the old folklore goes that “Too much Good can result in being bad” – anything or any practice must be well administered as to not exceeding its suggested limits. Phones and Tabs are one of the most cutting edge inventions of the century. These have eased many such difficulties which were beyond doable before. It is because of these smart gadgets, that we are leading a life of ease and amaze. So it is upto us to utilize these wonderful creations in a recommended limits to enjoy a life where science goes hand in hand with good health.

Here are some of the tips for all those parents of preschoolers to put these digital devices in to best use with their toddlers:

Search for alternatives:

Instead of gifting them with an E-Book reader, gift them your time to read out their favourite bedtime story. Take help of your parents i.e. the child’s grandparents to animate a fable or an old poem in an attractive way rather than always asking your child to let you finish your work. This method is much encouraging to the children to start becoming a book lover. Reading a hard copy of a book is much more satisfying than swiping away screens.

Attractive Activities:

Introduce your child to some really attractive children’s activity like building blocks, little mechanic kit or even a baking/kitchen set. These imaginary games will increase their creativity and helps in retention of knowledge in the long run. Fantasy games will gift your children with by-products of mental stress and digital addiction. But playing with skill toys with their friends teaches them the aspects of sharing, giving and understanding. The better interaction and a low key on being an introvert come as a bonus with these practices.

Make Rules:

It would be unfair to ask your child not to touch her tab at all when she sees all her friends talking about the latest games or some fun applications which are a buzz. The child may feel bit outdated when compared to the peers who wear a cap of Digital Swag and who are well informed about the latest digital trends. This is the time when you can ask your little one to make him/her understand the bad effects of these on their health. How can this be done? By making simple rules like ‘No using phone for more than 15 minutes’ or asking them to run in the ground for double the time they spend on tabs/phones. This will make them understand from a tender age and will definitely appreciate your concern one day.

Putting Technology For Better Use:

Tabs/phones are not bad. Just that the duration of which has to be monitored as everything good in this world will have its own set of bad attached to it. Spend time with your child and help them understand all those better things for which a phone or a tab could be used. Like learning phonetic syllables through videos, talking to the grandparents who stay away with life like video calling, listening to songs and rhymes which are fun to learn etc. It all depends on how we serve the platter.

Watch Yourself:

Asking your son to stop playing Temple Run when you are continuously binge playing Candy Crush? How unfair! Kids, especially the preschoolers follow and imitate the elders at home. It is extremely wrong to scold your child when you yourself succumb to the fun and charm of the gadgets. It is always advisable to follow what you preach when it comes to bringing up children. You reap what you sow, you see what you show. Be an idol for your child who would look up to you as an example. Dictating the child something which you never follow will confuse the children and later leads to the clash of views. Spend quality time with your children. Give them wings of faith and creativity to fly high in their imaginative world.

Constant spending time with your little wonders will also help you push out that urge in them to spend time with their virtual mates. The more you spend time the less attention they crave from you. Indulge your kids in some other activities and keep them busy the whole day. Once they are back from their school take them out and enroll them in some fun yet healthy activities like dance, swimming or chess classes which will keep them occupied and busy to even think about touching your phone lying next to them.

Studies say that kids from age 2 to 6 are so high on their grasping ability, that the traits, knowledge and the skill they learn during this span will remain with them till a lifetime or hold a major chunk of responsibility in shaping up the person who they would once they are grown-ups. Early learning should include some positive elements like better language abilities, effective logical thinking and improving motor skills. These will happen only by a proper parenting and a valuable adult supervision which includes less electronic inclination.

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That time of the year at your child’s school when you have no clue about what to expect. A sense of happiness or the timidness which is prevalent in every parent’s face that day. The PTM! The day when the teacher unfolds the unseen or the unheard side of your little buddies. It is indeed normal for anyone to contain an anticipation about this Parents Teachers Meeting, as this is the only forum where the parents can discuss their concerns with the teachers in a  systematized way with proper details and reports pertaining to the student’s performance in a given semester or a term. Not just the curriculum based performance review but the overall behaviour of the ward will be considered a point for discussion during these sessions.

What is the necessity of such meetings? What value does this hold in the academic year of a student? What difference does this make in the mind of those parents who leave no stone unturned to see their kids reach all heights of success?

PTM encourages a close link between the parents, teachers and the students. It builds a strong working relationship among the above mentioned 3 elements in support of the satisfactory student life tenure which fails to work smoothly if one of these three fails to reciprocate satisfactorily.

Let us today discuss this amazing platform of performance oriented meeting called PTM in a 3 dimensional perspective.

1. Teacher
2. Student
3. Parent

TEACHER:

A teacher is not just a person who teaches what is written in the books or what is mentioned in the curriculum.  Children spend their huge chunk of the day in the school. During this time, a teacher is the one who is always surrounded by the students who depend on her/him for many things. A preschooler needs a teacher to wipe her tears in the absence of her mother, a 5^th grader needs help to know about his conflict of the mind to follow both his passions of science and sports or it might be a 10^th grader who would hesitantly approach her teacher to talk about the issues between her parents. A teacher can be supportive and destructive if given either less or no interest towards the concerns of those students who approach them with a lot of trust and confidence.

• Staying calm and composed during the meetings by expressing the problem areas as the concerns and not the complaints is a task by itself.
• Not loosing cool and at the same time not accepting abusive behaviour coming from the parents is really important.
• Each parent is different or they might be same and repetitive. Patience is the only weapon. They might ask questions so unfair and irrelevant. Try to convince and console them that their children are in safe hands. Do not ever jump into conclusions by judging the kid’s behaviour based on the parents’ conversational patterns.
• If any concerns about the child, chart out the remedial methods together instead of always suggesting something about the parenting or the upbringing skills. That might sound offensive.
• If a child is doing well, acknowledge the parenting capabilities of the parents. This will for sure help to build a respectable relationship. The parents will also feel that they and their child are moving together in a same direction.

PARENTS:

• Teachers are humans too; they do not possess super powers to change things overnight. Kindly enter the school premises with this thought. If any problem persists, expressing that in a civil manner and having a healthy discussion about mending some unpolished skills of the child will fetch long time victory.
• School does not function just for a single child. It is a collective effort of many students to adhere to the rules and regulations of the school no matter how different these rules are from what is followed at home. Never expect to change them for the sake of your child. The discipline and the decorum have to be considered.
• Instead of pondering over many things and beating around bushes killing time, make a list of those concern areas about your child. This will save time on the parents who are behind you waiting for their turn.
• Being good at studies and seeing A+ although the report card should not be the only agenda. Ask about your kid’s upcoming school day dance performance or the football match which is round the corner.
• Your children, who are the way you think, might not be the same at school. Listen to the teachers patiently about any behavioral changes which were unnoticed by you.
• Ask for steps taken for improvement in some shady areas. Suggestions of the teachers definitely come handy as they have seen many children like yours and all you know is just your sweet little child.

Building Trust : Edustoke

STUDENTS:

• Both your parents and the teachers love you. PTMs are just a simple meeting to know your performance at school. Not a complaint box which would be presented to you which just says – “Lack of Improvement” or “Scope for Improvement”. DO NOT PANIC.
• If there is a PTM coming up and there are any concerns from your side which has to be addressed, kindly reach out to either your teacher of your parents depending on your comfort level. There is nothing in this world that cannot be solved. Talking and sharing things can solve half the problems. During the PTMs your concerns would be attended confidentially and with utmost dignity.
• Losing hope and lack of trust in both your parents and the teacher will fetch no results to the demon you are struggling to fight inside you all alone. Speak out! There will definitely be a shoulder next to you.
• Take charge, act responsibly. When your teacher and your parent try to convince you about the possible areas of concern about your behaviour or the studies, never give up on them. Always remember- your parents were the ones who clapped with a teary eyed joy when you laid your first step without a help. It was your teacher who beamed with pride and happiness when she saw you getting a 45/100 as compared to your usual 30 or 32. Any problem small or big…listening to them with an assuring look of positive improvement will make no harm. Your win is their victory.

Accepting Criticism and Overcoming them!

So PTMs can prove different to each one of us. But the final motto is the same – To build an effective student life and maintain a healthy equilibrium for a smoother functioning of an educational institution. A parallel march of ideas and ideologies can get many things to track. A unidirectional thought process can create an irreparable dent in the mind of parents who give up on their child, the student whose levels of frustration will reach an intangible height or the teacher who makes a baseless effort to mend and bend the innocent mind which succumbs to a lack of effective communication.

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