With the Board exams over and Entrance Exams starting shortly, (AIPMT 2008 gone), it is the combination of entrance tests and board exams that some students are finding it difficult to handle. In 2006, 5,857 students — or 16 a day — committed suicideacross India due to exam stress, reported the Times of India recently. Some students have discovered other mechanisms todeal with the pressure, like running away from home or simply refusing to appear for exams.

If you are a student, there is no need for me to explain what exam stress is. Sleepless nights, troubled thoughts, loss of appetite, rapid pulse, trembling hands - these are typical manifestations of exam fear. Recent research has shown that it affects all the systems of the human body: nervous, immune, cardiovascular, etc. Unfortunately, the negative influence of this phenomenon on the students’ body and their psychology is underestimated nowadays. Social polls demonstrate that students perceive the exams as a “duel of questions and answers”, as a “severe torture” as “intellectual and emotional overload”.

Do we need exams in the first place ? - Yes, exams are important for you as their results influence future professional career, your social statusand your self–esteem. Every person has own optimal level of worry and anxiety, which helps him/ her to achieve the best results. You must learn how to control your stress and extra anxiety for preparing for the Test. If exams cause great worry, if you have some symptoms of exam stress (insomnia, rapid pulse, hands trembling and so on) youought to do something about it.

Here are a few tips that may help you reduce the exam stress:

Believe in yourself.
You are capable of passing the exam. You wouldn't have been given a place in the class or on the course if you didn't havethe ability to do it.

Don’t just worry – take action!
If you don't understand some of your course material, getting stressed out won't help. Instead, take action by seeing your course tutor or asking your class mates to help you understand the problem.

Don’t put yourself under too much pressure
Aim to do your best but recognise that if you think that "anything less than A+ means I've failed" then you are creating unnecessary stress for yourself.

Take a break.
As soon as you notice you are losing concentration, take a short break – go for a walk, talk to a friend or just listen to some music. Then you will feel refreshed and able to concentrate on your revision again.

On the Exam Day:

Try to avoid panic.
It's natural to feel some exam nerves prior to starting the exam and that can be a positive and motivating feeling. However,getting excessively nervous is counterproductive as it hinders your ability to think clearly.

Breathe deep.
The quickest and most effective way of eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close your eyes and take several long, slow deep breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole nervous system.

Guys and Girls, after the exam is over , Don't spend time focussing where you think you went wrong. Often we are our own harshest critics. Congratulate yourself for the things you did right, learn from the bits where you know you could have done better, and then move on.

Suicide is not a solution for Exam stress
Students - Please Don't kill yourself or even think of attempting suicide. If the exam result is not as per your expectation, Don't worry ... It is not the end of the world. There are many other career alternatives which may suit you better. I know a lot of people who were not good at studies in school or college

All the best