Top tips to tackle exam Jitters

Exam Day!

You wake up early on the morning of your exam. You are eager to give it your best shot. Over the last few months you have burned the candle on both ends. The stock of candles at the local grocer has been exhausted, thanks to you!

Today’s the day, you decide. I’m going to rock it!

A creepy thought crawls up in your mind.

English grammar! The bomb explodes, you see stars and sparkling dots in your eyes. Each dot seems to say something. Articles. Prepositions. Phrases. Idioms. Synomyms. Antonyms. Oh my goodness! Direct speech? Indirect speech??

Holy Cow! Reading comprehension?

Have I missed something? Oh yes, of course! Quant. Data Interpretation. Mensuration. Ratio and Proportion. I feel like I’m on a highway to hell.

You feel bullet trains of cold sweat race down your back. The butterflies emerge from a remote corner of your intestine. It is party time for their gang.

You shove aside all these thoughts. The newspaper screams about the demonetization drive. You begin to read the report. Words seem to be flying around the page.

You want to rush to the toilet. You relieve yourself and take a deep breath as you rinse your hands.

Your dry hands start sweating. Your legs begin to quiver. You grab your morning cup of coffee.

You decide to revise once more. The coffee mug sulks.

You pick up your study material. An ocean of words drowns you. You keep it aside. You start pacing up and down the room. Your heart is pounding incessantly on the walls of your rib cage.

Somehow you manage to get dressed. You don’t wish to eat anything. Your temper shrinks as you pick up your essentials and move out towards your exam centre. You argue with the auto driver over petty change.

You reach the centre and see people in the throes of last minute revision. You try to ape them. Nothing registers. It is a lost battle, you tell yourself mournfully.

The bell rings. Tsunami alert! You take your assigned seat. The invigilator shoves up the question paper on your face.

The words “Game Over!” flash on the screen of your mind. You aren’t even able to read the paper. You make feeble attempts to remember what you had studied. The sweat pours like never before. Your fingers tremble. Your throat is parched. You want to puke.

Familiar scene? All of us have gone through this a few times in our lives, and you certainly aren’t the only one! You can avoid all this very easily. Here are a few tips. Follow them and see your confidence soaring!

Tip #1: Plan your studies for the exam.

Probably you are a working grad. Your study time is sacrosanct, whatever time of the day. Stick to it, come rain or shine. List down all the topics you have to cover. Chalk up a time table and the topics you plan to master each day. Over your study period, you just need to cover the entire syllabus.

Tip #2: Do an outdoor session regularly.

Don’t rot indoors. Get you. Breathe. Feel your breath explore the nooks of your lungs. Walk, jog, skip — anything to set your pulse racing. Let the sweat flow.

Tip #3: Believe in yourself.

You have made it pretty well so far in life. The best is yet to come! Your mind is a powerhouse, and you can control it as you want. How desperate are you to get that bank job? You have to be extremely focussed. Be on top of your mind. If you think positive, floods of positive thoughts will come back to you. You have it in you to stand up to challenges. Tell yourself, “Ha! I am not going to be bogged down by a silly exam! Bring it on!”

Tip #4: Get inspired.

Watch inspirational videos. Read biographies. Watch funny movies. Meet your friends regularly. It helps to keep your mood light.

Tip #5: Be consistent.

Gradually progress with your study plan. Be consistent. One day off every now and then is fine, but beware. Lethargy is contagious. More of such days will disrupt your plan. Challenge yourself. Make a comprehensive list of all the topics you need to master. Tackle each one at a time and you should be well prepared before D-day. It helps to have a mentor like ICS to guide you through this journey.

Tip#6: The night before…

The night before the exam, eat light. Sleep early. Breathe. Wake up early. Go through your daily chores with a song. Breathe. Eat a good healthy breakfast. Listen to your favourite songs. Reach the centre with a carefree mind. You have prepared well. You will crack it soon enough. You can already visualise your selection letter in your hands.

Tip #7: Learn from your mistakes.

It always helps to document your mistakes so that you are aware of the pitfalls. Analyse your strengths. Work on your weaknesses. Take regular mock tests. You will be able to gauge improvements in your performance gradually. ICS provides all these and more. Walk in to your nearest ICS centre and take the first step towards your success!

Tip #8: Dream of the future!

Visualise yourself working in a bank. Imagine what a great achievement that would be! How elated your family would be. Remember, there is no limit to what you can achieve. Impossible is a word in the dictionary of fools.

You are meant for something much greater. All the very best!

# Blaze Jom George
blazejom@gmail.com