The Vagabond

“Exams”

How many examinations have you given? Does anyone remember?

Right from the day we entered school, we had exams. I remember vaguely, unit tests, terminals and then final exams all throughout the school years. Board exams at 10th and 12th, followed by innumerable entrance exams for that one prestigious seat meant for you. After that endless saga of exams still continues ( the side effects of being a doctor 👩‍⚕️ 🤣)

Fortunately we as kids did not have to go through the lengthy school admission exam for Nursery admission.

The word in itself creates a scary image of students sitting with bunch of sheets and trying to vomit what they have memorised in the last few days.

As a student, until I joined medical college, I was never afraid or tense about exams. I would study throughout the year and sleep nicely the night before exam. However, now with my kid who’s rarely interested in studying it’s mugging up and sitting with him once the dates are announced. Unlike our times, exams now start from Grade4/5 onwards. I feel it’s right also because that way they can concentrate their energies on learning other skills. However, since they are not exposed to exams they find it difficult to sit and study for the same.

For my son exams started only last year when he was in Grade 5. It took the entire year for him to realise that you have to be consistent and last minute revisions can’t give you what you dream. So, now in grade 6, he is not resisting that much when I remind him that he has to study.

Whatever the situation be, we as parents should ease out their worries.

A good diet and a good sleep is must during the exam times, and we should inculcate this habit early on. I always slept even during my MD exams, because if you had not adequate sleep, you will either feel sleepy during exam or you might be not able to remember what you have memorised. We should help them manage time and encourage them to relaxing breaks when they can listen to music, take a walk etc.

We should keep a positive attitude and encourage our children to believe in themselves and be confident. If a parent constantly frets over exams and the results, the child is definitely going to be stressed over the same. Children constantly need reassurance and emotional support to tide over exams. 

Many parents give too much importance to academic achievement. Every child is different and has his own strengths and talents. Valuing child just on the basis of his academics is wrong. Parents do need to get over this misconception. Secondly, labelling a child as failure or duffer and so on, just on basis of his marks which you think are less will make a child feel useless.

Children need help and support to get ahead in life. He may or might not achieve the desired grades and its a well known fact that how you fare later in life is dependent on your overall personality, your flexibility and attitude towards learning. Hence, we should focus on the holistic development of the child and not stress them over exam results.

I am participating in A2Z Challenge this April and this post is my entry for letter X.