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Students in India are preparing for the upcoming exam period as schools reopen and resume pre-Covid activity. As they transition from remote examination methods to being physically present in the examination room, many students may experience stress or face pressure. Pressure is spreading from students to parents, affecting Indian households. The good news is that students, teachers, and parents are all in it together and can overcome exam stress.

Eirini Petratou, Senior User Research Manager at BIC Cello, shares a few tips on how to manage exam anxiety:

Create your own to-do-list/study plan: Chart out your own unique study schedule to make exam preparation time easier to manage. Make sure that you plan your schedule in a way that suits your studying habits and ensures that you're fully focused when studying/preparing. What works for you might not work for someone else. Your planning should include all requirements and materials needed for you to get the exercise done properly and reach new heights.

Write to Learn: Use the 'write to learn' method has proved to be one of the most effective ways to prepare for exams and retain information. As students go back to school for offline learning, it's crucial that they get used to putting pen to paper, it helps in activating photographic memory. Companies such as BIC Cello design pens to ensure that students can write for long periods of time without adding pressure onto their fingers and wrists - making learning easier and less strenuous.

Remain active and healthy at all times: Leading a healthy and active lifestyle is said to reduce stress and anxiety levels as well as enhance brain function and activity. An unhealthy body results in a lack of concentration which consequently elevates stress levels. Generally, and especially during exam period, ensure that you drink a lot of water, consume healthy food, and take part in physical activity daily. In its latest School Contact program BIC Cello emphasised how Hand Yoga can strengthen muscles used for writing reducing stress on hands and ultimately contributing towards a healthier and more relaxed body.

Regulate your sleeping patterns: Sleep deprivation is worse than insomnia. Lack of sleep reduces the brain's ability to retain information. A minimum of eight to nine hours of sleep is required to ensure that the brain and the body get sufficient rest. Similarly, being on gadgets for too long before bed reduces the brain's ability to read, retain, and recall information. It is crucial to program the body to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This ensures higher productivity and sharper brain function.

Adopt and maintain a positive mindset: Mental health and status has a detrimental impact on everything that we do. Maintaining a positive mindset and approach specifically during exam period ensures high levels of concentration and enhances mental abilities to effectively solve problems, think creatively, and cope with challenging situations.

Exams, while sometimes stressful, help to develop discipline, sharpen brain activity, improve memory, foster a healthy competitive spirit, and boost self-confidence. Remember to approach this year's exam period with a positive attitude and remain calm to ensure you ace them!