Upcoming Exam Fever

Satwant Singh Rissam

March and April are the exam season in India. It is that time of year when many students start getting anxious and even spend sleepless nights worrying about the coming exams. Importantly, most of the parents of the school going children also get nervous for their school going children. In these months alike is the case of parents and their children as they both have to go through some level of stress during these months. However in some homes, every year when this exam season comes, it becomes that time of the year when one can sense the anxiety in all members of family. Such is the impact of this season that because of it even many family plans get postponed or rescheduled in order to help the children stay focused in his/her exams. Surprisingly, students start worrying about exams for days before it is to take place. Overall tackling this examination period gives many negative thoughts and unpleasant physical symptoms which prevent many children from performing to the best of their ability. With this all, the exam fever enters every house every year.

I believe that this exam season has been anxiety provoking for time immemorial.  Many among us during our academic life may have gone through this phase in large or little extent. Interestingly, if you will ask your parents then they too will definitely share some stories of such type. So in a way this phase appears as part of every student's life. Soon many homes in Jammu, may from next month again go through all this, as student community on whole will soon be appearing for different exams like annual exams, board exams or entrance exams. Recently, in a function I overheard some lady telling her husband that from next week he should get up early morning to wake up their children. Strangely, the reason for change of this duty was supported by a reminder that last year she got ill after her children's exam. This all made me understand how intense this phase is for every family even in Jammu. Firstly, all the parents for dealing with this phase need to understand that examinations are held to test a student's knowledge and understanding of any particular subject. During exam season, school going children have many amusing questions like – Who started these exams? Why we have to give exams? Why cannot we be promoted on oral tests? Along with it many more twisting thoughts come to their minds during this period only.

Time has changed and nowadays one thing has been noticed in every house that the parents are very much involved with their children. It appears as a very good signal but as far as this involvement comes to academics, then children are also being pressurized by their parents for getting highest grades in examinations. This all in a way leads to parents too developing some kind of obsession for grades. It is desire of every parent that their children should excel and be best among all. But I believe that parents who have started relating these grades with the prestige of whole family are the wrongdoer.  So with such a trend, can we deny that parents sow the seeds of stress in children? The students of present generation are literally being pushed into grade wars. This war is with the neighbor's kids or with the relative's kids. In order to curb this tendency, my message to parents this exam season is that they should look around and they will find many low graders doing very well in their life now.

Lastly, for overall well being of children we need not run only after grades. All we need to do to deal with this new generation is that we should just not focus on their present but also keep an eye on their future. As many among us have learnt that life is not only about scoring well in exams. So, parents these days should focus on skills and outcomes of learning in addition to grades in the exams. Every parent should invest within their own house by understanding that every child also has a limitation. Parents should keep this thing in mind and make things simple for children by not pushing them to extremes. So let us all get set to help children stay away from the upcoming exam fever by helping and relieving them from stress and exhaustion. This year and onwards, try to make them comfortable by allowing them to do certain things during exam time which make them happy. Simply have confidence that your child will do well but for that initially you need to believe in yourself as well.