Hello future-docs. Now that the exam date is near I’m sure you must all be worried about the day. ‘How will it go?’ ‘Will I reach the center on time?’ ‘Will I remember to keep all the important documents?’ ‘Will I be anxious or confident?’ ‘Will I be able to complete the paper on time?’
Oh, the endless questions that keep popping into the head before exams. I’ve been there, people told me, ‘If you’ve prepared enough, you won’t be anxious’ But it doesn’t work that way. I had the NCERTS memorized line-by-line and I was still very anxious.
I remember crying before going in for the exam, I was very nervous and scared. There were some tips that helped me contain my anxiety a little, I would love to share these with you.
1) NO LAST MINUTE REVISION
There is no need to take out your books on the way to the exam center or even 10 minutes before going into the exam center. You are not going to learn something very different in these last moments that you couldn’t have learnt earlier.
Ironically, if you read something that you don’t remember nicely, you might just lower your confidence and set a bad mood for the entire paper. You might feel even more anxious because of this. So don’t revise at the last minute.
2) What to study then
If you absolutely can not stop studying at the last minute, and it is your habit to study right before an exam, go through your mistake book. Just look over your past mistakes. Along with trying to memorize the flaws, understand how far you have come from where you began.
Be proud of your journey and try to be confident as you enter the exam hall.
3) Don’t talk to other aspirants at your center.
Just try to keep to yourself and mind your own business. You do not know if the person next to you is even more anxious. You do not want to get even more scared by talking to them.
On the flip side, you also do not want to pass your anxiety to someone else. It is like an unsaid rule at the center: Keep to yourself.
4) Listen to some calming music
I was listening to an instrumental tune during the ride to my center. Try to avoid listening to songs with lyrics. We all know that it will keep playing in your head during the exam.
Stick to some instrumental or spiritual song with good motivational beats.
5) Take a shower on the day of the exam
Just a calming shower or a bath. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, you need to keep your body and mind fresh.
It will also help you stay awake and alert and will set a good, positive mood for the exam day.
6) Eat heavy breakfast
Have a very good heavy breakfast but avoid a filling lunch. If you have a very high sugar- carb filled lunch, you might feel lousy or sleepy during the exam. I have explained this in the low carb diet blog.Try to avoid a heavy lunch.
Just snack on some good energy-packed food before the exam like peanuts or a banana.
7) Don’t drink a lot of water before exam
Drink water early in the day but don’t drink a lot of water right before the paper. You will not be allowed to use the washroom during the paper. If your bladder is full during the exam it might create a problem for you.
Besides, you can always ask the examiner to give you some water if you’re very thirsty during the exam but you cannot go to the washroom no matter how urgent it is.
8) Follow all guidelines given on admit card
Do not wear anything that is said to be prohibited on the admit card. Even if you do, it will be resolved at the center. But still, try to avoid the unnecessary hassle and nervousness of getting stuck at the checking.
Try to avoid wearing anything that might cause you trouble. Wear only clothing items as per the dress code for NEET.
9) Do not forget to take all the important documents
The guidelines clearly say that ‘Nothing aside from the NEET Admit card and a photograph will be allowed inside’ Make sure to keep this in your bag the last night itself to avoid last minute anxiety.
And, you have to keep your identity proof and PwD certificate for identification as well. Do not forget to take copies of your admit card and some extra photos too. Leave these with your guardians.
When you have backups for everything, you tend to be less anxious.
10) Leave early for the exam center
You are expected to report to the exam hall by 1:30 pm. Leave much earlier to avoid the anxiety of ‘Will I reach on time?’
Be smart, don’t be careless in this aspect.
Final step: Take deep breaths and don’t think about the exam a lot
For the last minutes before the exam, just chill. Think about gardens, about flowers, about your favorite food or person. Try to calm yourself down by thinking about anything that makes you feel calm or happy.
For these last few minutes, do not think about the future or the paper itself. Just take deep breaths and try to realize that your life is much bigger and greater than this one paper.
That’s it
That’s all you can do, add a spoon of dahi-shakkar to all of this, and I can bet you will feel confident while entering the exam center. I am really proud of how far you have come, I know that you’ve got this.
Even if it does not go well, we’ve got you. We’ll figure this out. Just remember that you are a person that is much bigger than an exam.
All the best.
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