It's exam season, and the stress is real.
I have to travel about 20+ kilometers to write my exams and then travel back home during rush hour, only to prepare for the exam scheduled for the next day.
Along with the seven subjects of the MBA second semester, I also have a carryover from my first semester, which I missed writing due to a lack of preparation time.
Every day, I feel so dizzy in the exam hall. The three-hour exams are so boring, and I need to keep writing answers in the 44-page answer booklet.
I wake up at 6:00 AM to revise the subject and quickly skim over the key points. At about 8:00 AM, I take a quick shower and eat my breakfast. By the time I finish my breakfast, I tend to start forgetting most of the concepts I learned, and the stress slowly begins to build. By 8:45 AM, I pack my bag to travel to the exam center.
The exam is at 10:00 AM. When the invigilator hands over the question paper, I forget everything.
At this moment, I can closely relate to Mr. Bean when he went to take his exam.
The struggle to attempt exams is real, especially in adulthood, and it can bring a sense of lower confidence and self-doubt.
But I don't give up. My goal is not to be a top scorer but to acquire as much knowledge as possible and pass the exam.
Some measures I take to control the stress:
- drink ample amount of water
- use a clickable pen, this will allow to keep pressing on the back of the pen during a stress condition, which allows to relax due to fiddling [change of focus].
- pause for a moment when stuck and take a deep breath (in and out).
- sit near a window or a well-ventilated space comfortably and allow cold air to flow near and around (both while studying as well as, if possible, for the exam).
- use time wisely.
[These are my personal ways to control stress. I am not sure if it's a scientific method or not, but this has worked out for me]