Managing Exam Stress

The extreme pressure on students to get perfect grades so that they will be accepted into a college has diminished the concept of actually learning and has left the art of “finagling the system” in order to succeed in its place (Palmer, 2005). There are many ways that should be implemented in order to reduce the stress on students so that they can thrive because, withoutthem, the school systems will only be creating generations of stressed out, materialistic, and miseducated students (Palmer, 2005). There are multiple causes when it comes to stressed out students. First consider where the pressure is coming from for students to get good grades. Parents and teachers tend to be the main suspects.

Public school, again, especially high school, really helps a child form bonds that could not be formed in a homeschooling environment, such as teacher and student bonds. Being away from others their own age excludes students from learning this skill, which could definitely lead to problems forming relationships in the future, whether that being professional relationships or personal relationships. “I’m not saying parents can’t do that, but it’s not the same. Teachers have a big influence.” (Cavazos). Parents can be influential for their children, but it would be very biased because they control what the child is learning.

The effects of pressure on students can lead to cheating, anxiety and health problems, and lost interest in school. An assumption is made that parents who did well in school usually expect their children to do the same. Most parents wish for their progeny to excel academically and get into a respected college. This kind of pressure is put upon a student by him- or herself as well. University of Illinois music teacher Rick Murphy says, “The personalities of many students cause them to be perfectionists, thus causing them to worry their grades aren’t good enough or that they need to get in to the best college” (qtd.

Pressure to Achieve Good Grades Many students feel pressured to achieve good grades. A student may falsely believe good grades are the only way to achieve admission into a prominent college, which is the only path to a successful career and life. Students who experience academic pressure can feel doubt and uncertainty, and this pressure can be internal or external. Pressure from parents, peers, and schools can result in stress, the desire to cheat, or physical and mental illnesses. Pressure to achieve good grades can cause a student to have high levels of stress.

Every day the world gets more competitive, and that is a lot of pressure for anyone to deal with, the pressure is a lot for young students to deal with every day. The causes of these pressures for students are parents, the school, the future, and the effect is how they handle the pressure. One cause of the many pressures for students to receive good grades are coming from your parents. The expectation is for you as a student to do as well or even better than what your parents have done, so that way your parents won’t worry as much for your future. Parents start thinking about your future as soon as you are born, and with this being said they prepare you as early as they can.

As a high school student, it is hard to convey to a parent that maintaining an A in difficult classes at school is burdensome. The student might be thought to be extremely dedicated to school but actually be in need of help. Striving for academics is generally thought of as great thing, but it is only so if it is done for the right reasons. Parents should communicate that succeeding in school does not mean giving an arm and a leg for perfect grades. Stressed students should free themselves from the fears they have had about school and designate time to take part in enjoyable activities every so often.

The relationship between a stressor and our levels of stress is directly proportional, as the more stressors we are exposed to (be it work pressure, loud noises or traffic) the more stressed we will feel. Depending on the type of stress we are experiencing, our bodies will respond in various different ways and activate the “fight or flight” reflex. This reflex is a result of our body’s sympathetic nervous system. [1] PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISM BEHIND STRESS [2] There are three phases to the stress response. The first being the “Alarm phase”, which is your acute response to stress (when you get a fright after a friend scares you).

For example some parents might have high expectations for there children. This will have an affect on them and encourage them to achieve well and aim high because there parents are expecting good stuff from them. As where as if some parents don’t expect there children to do well, this will have a negative affect on the child because he/she will not achieve well in exams because they will have the same negative attitude as there parents. Furthermore the school plays a major part in educational achievement. There might be factors inside the school which will affect children’s achievement.

College is basically the first step of achieving a socially accepted life. Though, pressures for going to the best school are taking a toll on students, and if they are not accepted to where they want to go society will look down upon them as “you should have done better.” Students will not stop until they reach what they want even if it may be hurting them. The pressure is not just coming from society, but also the parents. "Many teenagers I've talked to call their parents' bluff when told that they just ‘want you to be happy.’ They suspect what their parents secretly want is a high GPA” (Simmons). With parents not completely supporting their child to be an individual this is adding to the conformity in society to reach “perfection.” The outcome of all of this is that students are becoming even more stressed than they already were to meet their parents expectations.

Standardized tests prepare students for the stress, pressure, and competition of the real world that is to come in their future. The exams place pressure on students to study and comprehend the material. The exams may push students to compete with their peers and to help each other grow and do better on the tests. Although standardized testing can help students grow and be more competitive they also place a stupendous amount of pressure on students, which can lead to a severe amount of anxiety. Students have to deal with the pressure of This also places the added burden of constantly trying to do better than their peers onto students (Williams).