Dear counsellor,

I’m a senior six candidate looking forward to sitting my national exams a few weeks from now, but I’m worried if i will pass as well as I wish. I work hard, but every time we approach exams I always feel sick and nervous and this affects my results. How can I deal with this problem this time. 

Yours, Kaliza

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Dear Kaliza,

Throughout a student’s school life, examination time tends to usher in some kind of fever due to the fear of competition, which is a normal experience to every student. Remember, there is no short cut to success. You have attended class, taken notes and done several class assignments. This is one big step towards your examination success.

Be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally to sit for your exams and perform better. No one plans to fail, but failing to plan can cause malfunction. Fortunately, your brain is capable of duplicating activities in the physical world and exam outcome tend to reflect your study plan. When you enter an examination room, start by working out what carries the most marks and launch straight into your favourite topics.

The art of answering is all about knowing what the examiner expects. Examiners have a habit of dressing simple questions up in bewildering language: don’t dismiss an option before thinking about it logically for at least a few seconds to understand the flow and logic plus the questioning technique. Develop the ability to solve the questions quickly with utmost accuracy. Concise and complete answers will read much better than broadly conceived and unfinished ones. So narrow your answering technique rationally and avoid misfiring questions.

A messy handwriting could lead to loss of marks plus don’t leave exams early because such time is absolutely irreversible. Sit and re-read what you’ve written; double-check all of your answers, spelling errors and don’t try to stretch yourself beyond your limits. As you prepare for your exams, eat nutritious foods to boost your brain-body connection and Drink lots of water to keep hydrated. Be pretty relaxed while you are studying. Excessive anxiety can cause you to lose focus and make mistakes.

Review the notes on anything that isn’t your strongest point and focus on that. Remember, whatever the mind can conceive and believe to be possible, you can achieve with the right attitude. A bit of tension and stress makes your performance even better and puts you a step ahead in the ladder of success. Don’t under-estimate your powers and capabilities. If you apply the above strategies carefully, there will be a remarkable progress in your exams and you’ll gain more confidence. Just believe in yourself and you can pass your exams with flying colors