Preparing for entrance exams – a stressful period

THINK PAD

Summers that once used to be a period of leisure, ease and freedom are now lined with crippling anxiety, fear of failure and sleepless nights for students taking their university entrance exams. All the childhood memories of playing in the golden sun of summer afternoon hours and licking ice pops, with not a single thing to worry about have faded. Now, it is the time for books, prep notes, past papers and what not, scattered all around the room. The study table, the bed and the bookshelves all equipped and rigged up, portraying a trying picture of hard work and countless hours of labour.

Every year, hundreds and thousands of students appear in entrance exams of different national and international universities, studying their days and nights away, putting their health and mental wellness at stake. Once the test is over, there is the nerve-racking waiting period for the merit lists to be posted that all students have to endure.

Some students manage to get into their dream universities, in their dream degree programmes, and some don’t. Some decide to hold onto the hope for a little longer and opt for a gap year. Whereas, others try to get into any university that might offer them just any degree programme. Both scenarios have their own pros and cons.

Students, who usually take entrance exams are mostly teenagers with little to no knowledge about how the real world works. They usually hold a stereotypical approach towards medical and engineering fields as the most rewarding ones; hence, they spend every minute of their time studying non-stop just to be able to acquire a spot in their desired medical college or in the engineering department of a prestigious university. Only a very small percentage of students is encouraged to explore their niche and interests.

The universities, as a result, are swamped with students who are either unable to navigate their goals in the life ahead or the ones who simply feel uneasy as they cannot comprehend and overcome the identity crisis that the imposter syndrome brings along.

Both situations can be dealt with careful learning and relearning of what the future is supposed to be like, once the havoc of entrance exams is over, once and for all. Students are then encouraged to accept everything for what it is and set up goals for themselves, just so they don’t feel like absolute failures. A few students who cannot bear the pressure, drop out and embark on their life journey, anew.

The need of the hour is to provide free counselling sessions to all the students without any discrimination, once they are done with intermediate level of education. This will not only allow them to explore their interests and opt for the field that is best for them, but will also help them keep an eye on what their future would look like, and set up their objectives and goals accordingly.

This can be done easily by counsellors by providing suggestions regarding the entrance exam students should opt for. Also, schools should give preparation guidance which will help students to work to their optimal capabilities whilst taking care of their physical and mental health. Knowing what they want and how to achieve it will help students to manage their time as well as the study material in the best way possible.

Once students are done with their part, they should be encouraged to consider the waiting-for-the-results-period as their time of rest and relaxation. Sitting back and trusting the process should be the norm.

Imposter syndrome is the internal psychological experience of feeling like a phony in some area of your life, despite any success that you have achieved in that area.

You might have imposter syndrome if you find yourself consistently experiencing self-doubt, even in areas where you typically excel. Imposter syndrome may feel like restlessness and nervousness, and it may manifest as negative self-talk. Symptoms of anxiety and depression often accompany imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is not a diagnosable mental illness. Instead, the term is usually narrowly applied to intelligence and achievement, although it also has links to perfectionism and the social context. Psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance first used this term in the 1970s.