In a few days, candidates will start writing their national examinations KCPE and KCSE.
To the Class 8 and Form Four students sitting tge exams, we wish you success. However, there is a need to go in for the examinations well prepared against the swelling tide of anxiety that is accompanies the search for big and audacious goals.
Worries can take the better of unprepared candidates.
The best way to go about any examination, is to prepare and prepare well. Champions are not made in the ring. They go into the ring only to confirm they prepared. Although the candidates are now burning the midnight oil revising for the tests, that is a good finish but preparation should begin the very first day one reports to Grade One or even pre-school. Those early years, learners bank on the handling by parents, siblings, guardians, and the teachers.
Everyone loves success and the search for success may come with anxiety. Success is the first step to satisfaction. In fact, it is for this reason that people work hard, including striving to pass examinations.
A little anxiety is necessary for high level performance. Too much of it hurts, instead.
In many schools, students and teachers write in bold print the number of days to start of the tests and the mean mark. This either emboldens or wears down some because of good or bad anxiety.
Pressure to pass exams could also be coming from parents and siblings, some of them sponsoring you in school. However, you are the one sitting the examination; so, be still and calm, your heart and eyes on the prize. Don’t be distracted; keep driving, keep walking.
except yourself. Relax and do only what you must do.
In life, sometimes people fail because of doing what others want them to do and not what they want to do.
Being relaxed, however, does not mean stopping studies, it means controlling the impact of both external and internal environment.
Now, what happens when you read a couple of questions and feel blank? Keep being in charge as a well prepared sports person because the tests aren’t a death sentence. There is life after examinations.
So get mentally ready. Eliud Kipchoge, the first athlete to run the marathon in under two hours, is an icon of preparation. When he met the trillionaire Jim Radcliffe who challenged him for the Vienna marathon, he settled down for four months, getting ready.
He was cool and physically fit. He practised during the day and slept well in the night. He did it and made history.
Many candidates get it wrong when they begin reading when examinations approach. There is a danger when anxiety of that level is uncontrolled. Some don’t sleep and are restless in the day. That is unhealthy. Indeed, others end up missing the very exams they were preparing for. That’s painful, is it not?
It is important that your health is in good shape. If you have an illness, see a doctor to reduce chances of any hiccups.
Candidate sitting the examination are so delicate. They should avoid risky jobs or games that may predispose him to health hazards and unnecessary accidents.
The diet is also essential part of the preparation.
Foodstuffs which are strange to the digestive system can cause stomach upset and ultimately mess up the candidate.
So, take care when preparing food for candidates, be it school or at home.
Although examinations are not any prison, candidates ought to trim their movements to limit interaction. Why? Adolescent exploits has intrigues that may challenge even the strongest mind. So if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, keep a safe distance.
In fact, you can go an extra mile and shut your phone down in the examination period. It may shield you from any devastating news that may pull your emotional state into disarray.
Emotionally talk to self that this is going to be a better performance. Shut out naysayers and negative energy from any quarters and focus on the goal. Say to the inner you that, “It may be hard but I am going to make it.” Believe that you’re not limited to what people tell or say about you.
Every examination has its unique circumstances. If you failed in one, face this one with a new mind-set and thoughts through better organisation. There is power in uttering and believing in something. As a man thinketh, so is he, it has been said. So, be optimistic. Keep hope alive. Believe in yourself without falling into the trap of blind optimism. Work hard.
However, you may need the support of friends. Get those who are passionate, motivated, honest, open minded, and positive to increase your chances of success. You will test yourself against their knowledge, reflect, and see where to do corrections. Equally important is that they are loyal.
Whenever you feel a bit overwhelmed, which is natural, find the most suitable way to cope. Every human being has an in-built mechanism to fight negative thoughts and adverse conditions. So, if you relax and convince yourself that you can handle it without soliciting external help, the better.
Plato said nothing done decently and according to the rule brings discredit. The examinations are a grand matter in a student’s life. But dear candidate, do not let the examinations scare you. Go!
