Time is racing fast… very fast! Right? The big board exam which looked not so big to some, when some months away is now suddenly so threatening, so massive when up, front and so close. Just sometime back you had felt there is enough time but now you find time ticking away and this ticking now sounds like the ticking of a bomb, making the throbbing of our hearts sound louder. True? Actually, until and unless you manage your time wisely, it is a fact beyond doubt, that this is what each one will face. Many students face this issue. They begin their studies, thinking they have all the time in the world. So, what do you do now!? Time gone past we cannot buy it back, not even a micro second even if we were to give our everything away! Storm may be raging in your mind. If the mind is wreaking havoc with too many disturbing thoughts which in turn is shaking your entire internal self, all you can do is try and calm it down.
So, let us make a resolution to make the best use of the little time you have now. Take deep breath and make an effort to calm the mind down… try and befriend it…make your mind your Mitra…attempt to soothe its ruffled state. Anxiety and Stress does no good, it only interferes with learning, it eclipses the learning. You need to be smarter and outsmart the time!
The result of your class board examination is definitely important. Looking at the kind of system we have now, whether we like it or not, we need to accept that the Board result is used as a reference, right from obtaining admission to a college of your choice, to getting the job that you desire. As per the present system, at every stage, your board exam results will reflect your aptitude. Hence, be prepared to put your best foot forward now.
First of all, do understand it is absolutely normal for students to have anxiety before exams, especially high-stake board exams. However, a moderate amount of anxiety can often help you prime yourself, sharpen focus and enhance concentration. Whereas too much anxiety can worsen exam performance. Specifically, intense worrying or nervousness can cause racing thoughts, poor concentration, insomnia, tiredness, headache, sweating, and many other problems. Hence it is very important that you take control of your inner self.
• De-clutter and Prioritize – First try and straighten the mess in your minds. Do not be overwhelmed looking at the huge mountain of board exam in front. Rather focus in sorting one thing at a time, focus on one rung of the ladder at a time. Focus on the top priority of things. Though you may feel everything is a priority yet you need to choose one thing at a time.
• Pick the task you feel is the biggest burden- Organise yourself. Make a productive timetable. Do not put off or delay tasks that you find particularly mundane, tedious or uncomfortable. Pick that up as quickly as possible and get it out of your way so that you do not have a nagging feel at the back of your mind related to that particular task. Make realistic targets for a day. Allot a particular time span for each topic based on importance. Keep a strict target of completing your study. Keep revising. When you revisit what you have learnt it will stay with you long term.
• Be Strong-willed – Keep away all distractions out of your way. All social media platforms that you use to entertain yourself, like Facebook, WhatsApp, etc which, on a normal day, eats away more than half of your time. These behave like viruses that will sabotage your system without you realizing it. Stay away from these especially now as they are time stealers and time is more precious than anything else at this present moment.
• Focus on the effort – Be focused and consistent with accepting only those actions that take you closure to your GOAL. Enlarge your consciousness, make a spiritual connection to get all the strength to be focused in the greater goal of your life. Keep persistently inching by working hard towards reaching it. Let the Cosmic force do the rest. Don’t unnecessarily brood over the consequence or percentage.
• Keep yourself energised – Be at ease with yourself after a good stretch of work and study, just be out in the open space garden or terrace and soak in the elements of nature by stretching and deep breathing. Do not skip your shower. We all, in fact everything in nature, is made up of five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. A balanced diet from Mother Earth is necessary for good health. Knowledge of the five elements is essential to attain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom and happiness. Besides these, keep nourishing your mind with positive thoughts. Talk to your parent, favourite teacher or best friend who makes you feel good, laugh, sing out loud however bad your tune may be! Just relax. Do find time to listen to what our Honourable Prime Minister had to convey through his PrarikshaPe Charcha. He has rightly said “Be Exam Warriors! Not Exam Worriers”
• Sleep well – Keep yourself refuelled with good sleep and rest as well. Do not skip your sleep for studying. That won’t match your bodily clock and only make you weaker. Reduced sleep is linked to reduced concentration and mood swings. Hence a proper sleep is immensely important to function well and reduce stress.
• Stop comparing yourself – Do what is right for you. Set your own routine. Take control of the vehicle of your life. Everyone’s learning and studying style is different. So, do not be nervous with the style or system followed by another. If you keep looking around how others are racing ahead you will lose focus, you may get nervous and delay your speed of progress. Have faith in your planning and execution, be comfortable on your roadmap, optimise your effort, rather compete with your own previous achievement.
You all are citizens of a brave new world. You all are far more intelligent than what you may think of yourself and each of you have the minds of great leaders. You need to explore the boundless energy and strength you have been gifted with.
We have within us the power to do lot more than we think but the irony is we keep praying for things that we have already been given as Terri McPherson rightly said-
“Let us pray for the things we need, not for that which we already have. Let us be a generation of doers, let our legacy be one of action, who prayed deeply and in earnest for the strength, the courage, the determination and conviction to use our God-given gifts-justly.”