DÉJÀ VU – continued

Did I tell you that the admission desk team was one of the efficient people you could wish to work with; they were so polite and ready to assist in any way possible. I developed cold feet even after getting briefed about the school’s program because I did not want to find myself in a situation that is beyond my control. I was in a similar situation some years back when I registered and applied for (Certified Financial Analyst) CFA certification. It was a huge mess as the lectures alone took the whole of my time; no more free weekends, irregular night sleep, no more social life, anxiety, shuffling between office work and your study time, no more church on Sundays and constant migraine. It was that bad as my health was deteriorating.

Unfortunately, covid happened, the examinations were cancelled as we could not continue with our classes. It was a breaking point for me as I was yet to cover most of the reading materials. Most of us were already down with exam fever or what we local in our local parlance  ‘examinophobia’; which is what happens when one becomes excessively nervous before or during an important exam. It is very awful as it affects one psychologically, emotionally, cognitively and socially.

Exam phobia is the fear of examinations and it is very common among students of all age groups these days. Some students develop exam phobia and struggle to overcome it. This might push them towards anxiety and even depression in some cases. Examination fear among the students can be an extraordinary obstacle for their scholastic achievement. It is critical to acknowledge on time that you have built up fear from something and conquer your fear at the perfect time before it ruins an important chance of your life.

There was a certain time in my primary schools days, I skipped my Maths paper by pretending to be critically sick. Till today, I regret that decision, I wished I had the courage to sit for the paper irrespective of the result.

Even, when I was a kid, I skipped my Math paper by pretending to be unwell. But today, I regret this decision. I wish I hadn’t done that. I wished I had mustered up the courage to at least take the exam, irrespective of its result. The only reason I did this was that I did not want to disappoint my parents.

Studies have shown that examinophobia stress is not only caused by the fear of failing an exam but also by;

1. Low motivation levels
2. High expectations from others
3. Competition from peers
4. Lack of preparation and planning
5. Fear of failure

But then there are ways to reduce these pressures, like preparing well for the exam in order t avoid panic, reviewing past questions, take enough breaks, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink enough water, exercise regularly, have proper rest and eat well.

##Annabel Nzegbule

##EMBA 28

##To be Continued