Students' readiness

Planning is an imperative step in becoming a better student and employee. When you have an overview of all the things that you have to do and you can put them into a timely order, it will help you feel more relaxed and confident. Also, others will perceive you as organized and reliable.

What is stress? Based on the "Oxforddictionaries" it can be defined as: "A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances".

As you can see, stress doesn't always have to be negative. It can also be seen as positive. Stress is basically our personal perception of the discrepancy between the current state and the targeted state.

To avoid any stressful situation, we recommend that you prepare yourself. Let's start with making a plan. Earlier in this course, we've introduced the "Eisenhower"-tool which explains how planning and prioritizing works.

Having a plan is already a great step. But you should also reflect on your abilities, skills and competencies and relate these to your plan. Is the plan still feasible? Is it already foreseeable that we'll run into a lot of stress later this month? If yes, adjust accordingly. Keep modifying your plan until you feel comfortable with it. The timeslots should be demanding but manageable. Having such a plan will make you feel relaxed and more confident in yourself.

Stress is a great transition to anxiety. A lot of students are afraid of exams. To be more precise, these students are afraid of failing the exam. This anxiety shows itself in different forms, starting from having difficulties to focus or even having panic attacks. This physical reaction is rooted in our genes. Being in a situation of fear, we're left with 3 options. Fight, freeze or flee. Our brain and organs automatically switch modes which don't allow us to perform cognitively accurate.

Here are suggestions for different scenarios.

1. Before an exam. In case you are aware of your anxiety during exams, take some friends of yours and simulate the exam situation days before the actual exam. Make it as real as possible. Your friends should provide an authentic setting. This way, you can get used to the situation and prepare yourself.

2. The day of the exam. Don't go too early into the exam room. Be in front of the building on time and talk to your friends. Go into the room once half of the class is already in there. The less time you spend in the room, the less anxious you'll be.

3. During an exam. In this case, take deep breaths. Inhale through your nose for 3-5 seconds and then exhale through your mouth for 3-5 seconds. Repeat this for up to 5 minutes. This should allow your brain to regain its balance and put you back in a state of mental productivity.

Of course, there may be other reasons, e.g. an unsupportive social environment. In such cases, we strongly recommend to frequently study with others or in a different environment (library, school or a coffee shop). 

Failure is part of life and in order to overcome the fear of failure, you have to change your perspective. Don't see failure as a sign of insufficient skill or knowledge from your side. You have to view failure as a learning experience.