Exam panic

Having sat many exams so far, I can relate to the anxiety, the panic, the exam stress which can give you cold feet.Once while prepping for exams, I rang my friend up, only to get her worried without reason. "There's something wrong with me!" I said with a voice full of uncertainty and fright. She was scared.This was me literally experiencing how it feels to have 'cold feet' but it was because the blood circulation to my toe had stopped, turning it pale, cold and white. After a couple of hours, the artery unblocked itself automatically.

Over the years, my mind has also unloaded the vast inevitable exam hysteria. It even got emotionally primed for the anxiety. Last semester, I have found myself to be calmer than usual, a sense of 'giving in' swept through my mind and I wanted to let go of the whole "I have to do so much". I found it extremely difficult to concentrate on studying as my brain would wander off into a world of interesting things that would not be examined on. I always loved the content of my papers, just not exams. I am sure several of you reading this can relate.

It is very impractical and cliched for me to say things like "Don't worry, you'll be fine" because in one's mind, they are NOT going to be alright. The last thing they need is someone saying something that everyone tells anyone who is in their stage. The only advice I can give is - panic all you want, but think back to the times when you panicked, when you sat so many exams feeling unprepared. How was it after the results were known? A mixed feeling, right? Sometimes, it was a miracle, and sometimes it was frustrating...Is this really worth all the brain energy that gets exhausted? The results don't matter in the long run. Never expect to remember everything you've read. That's impossible. Learn from your previous exam experiences and grow as a person who can handle the stress in a positive way. Easier written in a blog post, than done in reality..I know!

As far as you are concerned, it is always difficult to feel satisfied with how you've written the exam. Even if you panic, or you cry, or you dread it, the exam date will approach at the same speed.There's really no point worrying yourself to a point where you end up jeopardizing your memory. No one can tell you this, you'll have to train your mind. Only life teaches you how to handle it. Especially if you are studying medicine or any other course where you'll have life-long exams, this exam frenzy will violently attack you and laugh at how you have succumbed to its evil nature.

So, study, live, love, smile or sometimes even cry your life away. However, exam panic and fear should occupy as little brain space as possible. Try and find ways of calming yourself down. My sibling is going through a tough time as I write this. I hope he finds his strength that he undoubtedly possesses like all of us and just writes what he knows! Good luck pandu (his cute nickname :P)