CBSE Board Exam 2020: ‘Stress’ Leading Cause Of Concern Among Students, Here’s How To Say Goodbye To This Monster

In the life of an average Indian, board exams happen to be a major milestone. The first encounter of a national or state level exam for a student is usually first in class 10th, and then in class 12th; barring a few states where board exams are now happening for class 5th and 8th. 

As the CBSE board exam 2020 draws near, students, teachers, parents, and in some cases even well meaning neighbors and relatives of students have started worrying about it. The fear of what if something goes wrong is an overpowering emotion that often negates all good preparation. Of the many things that students are right now worrying about, related to their board exams, the top most concern is stress.

While teachers teach students the plethora of topics that make up the student’s syllabus, skills of time management, and dealing with stress are often overlooked. And considering that mastering them is no easy feat even for grown ups, youngsters can barely scrape through.

In a recent survey by AglaSem, when 20-30 year old working professionals were asked what were the biggest challenges they had faced during their board exams, and what tips they would like to give to today’s students, a number of useful answers poured in. 

To avoid stress, the first and foremost suggestion is to study for the joy of learning. Despite the demerits of education system debated all year round, there are several components of the curriculum that form the essence of learning. When one studies to learn, stress can take a backseat.

Another great soldier against stress in board exams 2020 is planning. When a student plans a day in advance, and at the end of the day ticks that to-do in his or her checklist, it automatically brings a sense of achievement. Small and big goal completions during studies can push back negative thoughts from mind.

An often forgotten aspect in the whole preparation routine is a good diet, and proper sleep. A tired brain and fatigued body are more prone to forgetting stuff, and conjuring negative thoughts. Neither is learning accomplished, nor anything else. If a student is neglecting these two things while studying for board exams 2020, adults are required to step in instil good habits.

Meditation helps humans relax. And it is important for students who will appear in the 2020 academic session CBSE board exams too. A 15-25 minutes time slot early morning is most recommended for this activity.

An interesting tip is to organize one’s study table. Though the saying goes “a cluttered desk is the mark of a genius”, but it does not hold true for school students as much as it does for professionals. 

All said and done, it has been cited that the leading cause of stress is external pressure. Students would not be that worried about their board results unless they were told by others that it was critical. On one hand parents often tend to coerce kids to study hard, even with good intentions in mind, that thought of what would happen if I don’t meet mom or dad’s expectations often burden the frail shoulders of young students. Here, especially with the little time to go for the board exams, parents must try to be positive role models and encourage their children to do well, but not at the cost of causing them undue stress and anxiety.

Peer pressure or pressure from other family members are also give students who will appear in CBSE board exams 2020 sleepless nights. In this situation, the best course of action is to stay away from such people, at least until the board exams are over.

Board exams are there to help students assess themselves and decide their future path. It is a step in the learning process in life. Work hard. Take care of your health. And stay motivated. Certainly, you will come out with flying colours.

CBSE board exams 2020 will be held from February 15 to March 31, 2020. The detailed date sheet is anticipated to be released anytime between the third week of December 2019 to first week of January 2020, at cbse.nic.in. To address the issue of stress among students, the Central Board of Secondary Education too has published a document on “identifying and managing stress”, available for download in pdf form at cbse.nic.in.