Stress can be destructive, it can leave suffers feeling unmotivated, demoralised and frustrated. So why do schools continually place teenagers in stressful situations without offering the tools to manage examination stress.

Many year 12 students from NSW are approaching mid- year examinations; most are probably experiencing varying degrees of trepidation and anxiety. However, some are feeling anticipation and excitement. How do you feel right now?

Your emotional response to upcoming exams is likely to reflect the degree to which you feel prepared for your examinations. When a person is placed in a confronting situation their emotional and physical response usually varies according to their perceived ability to manage and respond to the conditions. Therefore, in simple terms, if a person believes they have a measure of control over the resources required to overcome a challenge and they know where and how to access those resources, they are more likely to approach the situation with a confident attitude.

As a result, a student who understands the course content, is aware of the specific knowledge required to complete the examination and is familiar with examination structure, usually feels better equipped and more enthusiastic toward their examination, than a student who has not understood course material and has little familiarity with examination expectations.

While you nod in agreement and think, ‘yes of course, it is obvious that students need to prepare academically for their exams’, have you also recognised that academic preparation is only part of the preparatory process. Content and skills based preparation is the portion that most schools acknowledge responsibility for and thus, is where most time and resources are directed. However an equally crucial component is mindset preparation.

Stressful situations could be described as a natural part of life. Certainly they are a common occurrence and often unpredictable. Therefore it is not always easy to ensure we have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the expectations of a particular challenge. Nevertheless, it is possible to maintain control of our emotional response to a situation. In large measure a student’s ability to approach examinations with anticipation and excitement depends on their attitude toward judgement and failure. This is the area where many schools do not support their students.

A large number of students develop the belief that tests and examinations are a measurement of their ‘worth’. They harbor the notion that their entire future is dependent upon a few hours spent inside a school hall hunched over a piece paper on a small desk. It is little wonder these students view examination with fear and resentment. Nevertheless, schools can help students discover a more helpful attitude toward examinations.

As a teacher, I believe it is my responsibility to offer teenagers mechanisms to manage stress; to teach them specific strategies to channel and / or alleviate it. One such strategy is demonstrating an alternate perspective toward examinations.

Examinations evaluate what you know, not who you are. They offer a snapshot of your knowledge level at a particular point in time, not of all time. They are simply a guide or channel which directs subsequent learning. However to truly appreciate this sentiment, it is also worth challenging popular impressions of failure. Failure is not an end point, nor does it prophesise the future; failure is a signal. It is a sign to change, a suggestion to move in a different direction or to adopt a new strategy.

At this point one of the more common analogies offered is how Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he created a working light bulb. While you think about that, also reflect on your own experiences. Recall other learning situations. Although you may not remember details, consider how you learnt to walk. You probably dragged yourself up, cruised around holding on to furniture spending a lot of time on your bottom as you failed to navigate between one handhold and another. Yet, with each failure, you were testing new approaches, you were strengthening your muscles and your muscles were learning what was required of them. Each failure became an opportunity to learn.

Hopefully this example has illuminated an approach to examinations. Of course it is important to ensure you understand the required content and skills. However it is equally important to walk confidently toward your examinations. Use the handholds provided by your teachers. Have a clear vision of where you want to go and cruise around – practise, practise, practise. Then, when the space in front of you is open, draw upon your own muscle strength and stride forward. If you fall, pick yourself back up, think about what you have learnt and keep moving toward the place you chose as the next respite position.

Stress does not have to be destructive; it can be managed. Examinations can be viewed with enthusiasm; they can become a practice field. Schools can encourage students to develop a proactive attitude toward failure. Students can learn how to approach confronting situations with confidence and courage. This is the mindful state of a learner who knows they can learn.