Achieving Goals

At last, May is here! Some relax and wait impatiently to enjoy summer vacation, others prepare fervently for the season, others run around trying to find work in tourist areas and others…take Pan-Hellenic examinations!

During this period, students are either impatient to take the tests at last and be done with them, or wish that that day never comes. Whatever the sentiments, they all have something in common: extreme stress!

Because of this, they can't concentrate, nor even think clearly. Often they exhibit abrupt behaviour, with displays of nerves, crying binges, insomnia and other bizarre phenomena.

Other times they feel like abandoning all efforts, because they sense a curious sentiment of threat from their schoolmates, and it's called “competitiveness”. The word “Failure” echoes in their ears constantly.

Stressing out about tests is usually connected with a fear the student has about disappointing his parents or not measuring up to his own expectations. A way to escape is to burst out into some hobby or get busy with a project…sports, jogging, dance, painting…lose yourself in music. Take a break from studying and chill out. Take a dip in the sea or step out for a walk with your folks. Let your brain relax and calm down. If there are problems at home, don't get involved! Besides you need the psychological support of your parents so they should just chill and boost up your confidence.

If the student seems to be on the brink of quitting, the parents must step in and help him rediscover his goals. Some seriously stressed students experience nausea and lapses of memory. In these extreme cases perhaps parents should seek out medical help.

And if the student fails at some course, the worst thing the parents can do is to chastise him because the kid might think that it's not worth the effort.

The better solution is for the parents to encourage the student throughout the rest of the tests and at the end of the test period to discuss calmly what went wrong.

I hope this advice can help students and their families. I do not have experience in Pan-Hellenic tests yet but I have enough from testing to move up in grades throughout my school years. And after all, stress is stress.

So, all you dear parents out there. Make sure your child studies in a cool, bright and calm environment. No doubt, stress is normal and can even be creative, but only to a point. It does keep the mind and body alert but is full of hidden dangers when is not checked.