Here’s what parents can do to keep the exam fever at bay and ensure school remains the happy experience it is supposed to be.

By Dr Minu Madlani

When the pandemic hit home, schools and colleges were shut down indefinitely, students had to go through the whole process of getting used to online classes and exams. Now, just a little over two years later, the new normal demands these kids go back to offline learning, while at the same time being prepared to face similar changes in future. Without doubt, this is a lot to expect from kids and adolescents, and it’s no surprise these random changes are stressing them out.

Add to this the fact that exam season is round the corner, and we have a situation where it becomes even more essential to make conscious efforts to avoid stress. However, there’s no getting away from exams and the transition to offline learning is inevitable. So, here’s what parents can do to keep the exam fever at bay and ensure school remains the happy experience it is supposed to be.

Allow kids to take it at their own pace:

Covid-19 and remote learning has led to students falling back, and there’s enough research to prove that the learning gap is a real thing. In such a situation, it might be best to allow students to take up learning at their own pace, while allowing them enough time to engage in the non-academic activities they love to pursue. We’ve known since forever that all work and no play doesn’t do anybody any good, and now is the time to put this saying to use.

Separate personal ambitions from that of the kids:

Albeit unknowingly, parents often pressurise kids to achieve a certain score just so that these students can enter a specific course or higher academic institution that the parent considers to be prestigious. While this has never been the best course of action, now is the time to do away with it. It is essential that parents take stock of their child’s unique strengths and let them pursue the same. No area of expertise is lesser than the others, and letting students know they are free to pursue what they enjoy can play a massive role in bringing down stress levels this exam season.

Emphasise knowledge over grades:

If there’s one thing the world can learn from the problematic equation between millennials and filing taxes, it is the fact that practical knowledge matters a lot more than how much a child scores in an exam. Ensuring kids understand what they’re studying instead of going for the rote method simply to score better marks is essential. Teaching kids about areas where they can apply the knowledge acquired from textbooks can also help children better remember what they learn. Once children know that education is about gathering knowledge over marks, learning can be a way more positive and seamless experience.

Emphasise quality over quantity:

An age-old misnomer that has always done the rounds during exam season is that it is essential to put in a mammoth number of hours in order to score well. Students need to be made aware that it is the quality of studying and level of focus one puts into those hours that matter. Forcing a child to study all day long can be more detrimental than beneficial, as anyone’s mind is bound to wander and lose focus when doing the same thing for a long time. Parents must ensure children assign a specific number of hours to studying for their exams and do not spend days on end at their study table.

Make sure to steer clear of panic:

For a majority of students caught in this whirlwind of stress, this isn’t the first time they’re appearing for an exam, and that is a fact that parents need to reiterate continuously. Once students make sense of the fact that exams are much like any other day in their life, it becomes a lot easier to cope with the stress and surely keeps the panic at bay. Students need to approach exams with a lot more confidence and have faith that they will do the best they can, and this is a faith that only parents can help instil in them.

Considering 61 per cent of teens feel like they’re under pressure to score good grades and around 4.4 M children aged 3-17 suffer from anxiety, it is obvious that returning to offline learning and dealing with exam stress at the same time will not be easy for most students. Whether or not one chooses to follow the above mentioned tips, it is essential parents remain conscious of how difficult this transition is for kids and take whatever steps necessary to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Courtesy: Indian Express.