Have you ever felt nervous and jittery before exams? Have you ever gone blank or felt scared out of your wits to understand, decipher and recollect anything on time? Even though you have studied real hard from your school notes, snapsolve and all the other sources you could find.
Sometimes, students do not even remember what they wrote in the last 30 minutes of the exam as they had just filled the sheet somehow. The brain struggles to make rational decisions under duress and function to its full potential. Before we start lining up our tips that you can use, it is essential to understand the reason why our brain behaves in this manner.
Two parts of our brain come to play in a tough situation, that is, the neocortex and the ‘other’ brain. Most people refer to the other brain as the monkey brain, which we acquired since we lived in caves. The brain was primarily used for survival. The sole goal of the brain is to protect us from danger, so it is designed to handle flight or fight situations. As for the Neocortex, it is a part of the cerebral cortex of the human brain that is responsible for higher cognitive functions. That is what makes us superior to other species. It is because of this part of the brain that we can think rationally and make crucial decisions.
Hence, whenever we confront a challenging situation, the brain might consider it a survival challenge and shut down the neocortex. With a monkey brain, it is hard to make better decisions. That is the reason why people get blank during interviews. We are unable to think wisely and make prudent decisions. Here are some ways to deal with such circumstances without getting nervous-
- Expose yourself more- If you put yourself in stressful circumstances more, your brain will get used to it and would not react by setting off all the alarms as soon as you encounter any state of emergency. An example of this would be to ask doubts in class, especially if you’re scared to do it.
- Solve sample papers- You can practice solving papers and try to clear doubts within the same period as the exam so that your brain can adjust to them. Our brain has time consciousness, so whenever it sees that it has more to accomplish within the required time, train your brain to stay calm. You can also try to get used to the ticking of the alarm clock while solving your papers. This way, your mind can work well even when it senses that time is running out.
- Acclimatize with the sound of the exam bell- Many students get clueless when the exam bell breaks their flow. As you hear the alarm bell many times a day, your brain will become accustomed to the sound, and you will not panic when you hear it. Set a bell to mimic sound as your alarm and ringtone to get used to it as much as possible.
- Try taking exams in open or closed spaces – Some students find it challenging to focus in closed spaces while others have issues in open spaces. Expose yourself to the one that you have problems with so that your mind gets trained in the process.
Developing your situational awareness and exposing yourself to situations that trigger your brain to shut down will help you maintain control of your anxiety.
