Any exam is a test that is associated with physical, intellectual and emotional stress. This condition is called exam stress. There are two main options for responding to it. The first is activation, mobilization, the concentration of all efforts. In this case, it’s necessary to develop the ability to calmly and adequately assess issues and tasks, correlate them with their knowledge, and also objectively relate to the difficulties that arise.
The second option is characterized by confusion, fear of failure, panic. Then the ability to respond adequately is lost, and passing the exams is difficult even for those who know the material. During the year, you can help the kid to write papers requesting professional assistance. Today, it’s easy to get high-quality essays for sale from an online writing website. What can you, as a parent, do now when your kid is preparing for a board exam? Keep on reading to check what role parents play during exams.
What Does Success on Exam Depend On?
Teachers know that exam results are not always determined by the student’s level of knowledge. Sometimes those who prepared themselves sparingly, without sleep and rest and, it would seem, knew everything by heart, get worse grades than those who did not sacrifice anything, worked in moderation, without overstrain. Sometimes, they say “lucky”, but it’s not a matter of luck, but the fact that success in an exam depends not only on the level of knowledge but on the child’s ability to cope with excitement, focus, mobilize, organize his/her activities and correctly evaluate his/her strength. The reaction to exam stress largely determines the outcome of the exam. To help your child prepare to take their exams, consider signing them up for tutoring for the ACT test. Any extra studying will help your child feel prepared to take the exam.
Why do some children take exams without worries while others start panicking? Any exam is a test that is associated with physical, intellectual and emotional stress. This condition is called exam stress. There are two main options for responding to it. The first is activation, mobilization, the concentration of all efforts. In this case, the ability to calmly and adequately assess issues and tasks, correlate them with their knowledge, and also objectively relate to the difficulties that arise, remains. The second option is characterized by confusion, fear of failure, panic. Then the ability to respond adequately is lost, and passing the exams is difficult even for those who know the material.
What Are the Main Factors that Cause or Exacerbate Exam Stress?
The following can be distinguished: a negative attitude; situations of uncertainty and time limits; doubts about the completeness and strength of knowledge, in their own abilities – logical thinking, the ability to analyze.
In addition, the reasons may be the features of the organization of activities inherent in each individual child, for example, a slow pace, prolonged exploitation, planning difficulties; psychophysical qualities – reduced working capacity, increased fatigue, difficulty concentrating and switching attention, low-stress resistance; individual characteristics of the nervous system, physical and intellectual strain, as well as a burden of responsibility to parents and school/college.
What Are Some Common Mistakes Parents Make?
Parental anxieties, endless intimidation (“you won’t pass it,” “you know nothing,” “you don’t understand anything”) give the effect of a negative attitude, which paralyzes even children who know the material well, form uncertainty, fear, and increased anxiety. A negative attitude is especially dangerous for children with a weak nervous system. Parents often emphasize these features, recall former failures: “You always worry” or “Do not worry, as the last time”.
A heavy sigh and anxiety in the eyes of a mother without words create a cozy atmosphere. The excitement and fear of the exam are enhanced by emphasizing the responsibility the child should take. Even when it seems to adults that the child does not feel this “burden”, it’s still there. Another issue is whether the child wants and whether he/she can take responsibility not only for himself/herself but also for others. “Mom won’t survive this”, “Grandma will upset if I don’t pass”, “I will feel ashamed for getting a low grade” – these are not the arguments that will help relieve anxiety.
It is not uncommon for parents to use bullying and “horror stories”, promising troubles in the present and future that threaten to get a low mark on the exam, are also bad helpers in overcoming exam stress. Comparison with more successful peers, older brothers, and sisters, emphasizing their success, positive qualities do not lead to the desire to defeat an opponent or “take an example from him/her”, but can create a conflict situation in the family.
Parents often have no idea about the procedure, assessment criteria, task complexity, and most importantly, they do not always know how the child responds to a difficult situation. Sometimes children say that their hands are sweating, their heartbeat is quickening, nausea and chills appear, and they hear in response: “I don’t understand why you are so worried …”. You should carefully consider all the complaints of the child, explain that this is a possible reaction, help relieve stress, relax. The child understands of his/her physical condition and the ability to regulate it is an important component of preparation for exams, in the formation of which a significant role belongs to parents.
