It’s that dreaded time of the season, for students, teachers, children, parents and the like, to be on tenterhooks, huff and puff, stress and sweat it out.
“Exams” of all kinds, forms, patterns, sizes and shapes are lurking around the corner and the takers and non takers lurking all over it!!!
One can easily identify the hapless students and parents of such students who are taking exams by just throwing a glance at their faces. They will be moving around as if the whole sky is about to fall on their heads, a la Asterix und Obelix. And with so many of those faces with frowned eyebrows and long chins and necks, it would be no wonder if the sky would definitely give in, give up and well…fall on them, us and everyone around us!!!
My humble question to all the stakeholders is: What is with all the hue and cry over something as banal and mundane as exam? Why take, give, spread and stuff tension and nerves into each other’s throats?
My two cents for all you readers who are going through the exam pressure one way or the other is…BREATHE…RELAX. The world is not coming to an end. All is not over…
The most important thing one needs to understand and do during this so called “most important’’ phase of one’s life, is to remove the “importance” attached to it.
We need to drill it into our thick skulls that Exams are a part of learning process, no doubt, but not the be all- end all of life. Youngsters, Teachers and Parents must learn not to take in undue pressure associated with the term Exam, which might further lead to anxiety, depression and sometimes make people go off the edge, even take the extreme step of taking one’s life.
“For what joy” is my question? What is the worst that could happen if one doesn’t pass or clear an exam in his/her first attempt? NOTHING MORE than maybe losing a year or two. That’s it. So why make a big deal and throw yourselves off the rocks for something so routine?
Think about it this way…
Who has set the upper limits of age for clearing a degree or Master’s degree? We, Ourselves, and Colleges/Institutes/Universities, again made up of…yes…We the People!!! Why? For no reason. Can’t these set age limits be extended or advanced or preponed a bit? Of course, they can. Would it affect one’s life if he/she comes out as a doctor or an engineer at the age of 35 instead of 25? No, not in the least.
Look at it with pragmatic glasses on. Break it down and simplify the term exam and you will find that it’s high value is nothing but a figment of our own imagination and expectations.
One should also emphasise the fact that exams are not the only means of identifying or measuring one’s smartness, intelligence or skill. There is something more worthy that we need to impart to our kids. LIFE SKILLS… learning how to accept failure, trying hard, working hard-immaterial of the results, moving on, accepting things life throws one’s way and enjoying every bit of the journey called LIFE!!!
Mark my words, these life skills will make your child’s life real worthy of living every moment than the mere numbers on his/her marks/report card.
People creating such a fuss over Exams has made even the man holding one of the highest ranks in our country, speak about it from his heart.
Man…he’s one with his ‘Mann’ in its right place. Tips on how to reduce exam stress is the “baat” of the season batted by the man himself every year, even when he has other pressing national and international matters to take care of.
How Baatiful!!!
Before I wrap this blog, I suggest you readers to wrap the exam fever in a ‘use and throw’ bag, blow air into it and burst it with your hands and then clap your hands in glee once you hear the sound of exam air bubble go burst… “Phaat”!!!
That is all that is there to the word Exam. So, instead of fretting and sweating, do your best, go all in, with full on efforts, finish it and hope for the best. If you don’t succeed, then…simple…try again.
And when you succeed clearing your exams with flying colors, treat yourselves, your parents, teachers, your neighbours and their pets with freshly baked bread, EGG and JAM!!! You did it after all…Jammitt!!!
