Get ready for forthcoming O/L exam

Compiled by Panchamee Hewavissenti

Controlling exam fear

Every student would like to walk into the exam hall absolutely confident of facing the things to come. However this doesn't happen very often. What happens of the time is the preparations get a late until too late, sometimes just the night before, and this creates a breeding ground for exam nerves.

Walking in to the exam room might feel similar as walking in to an execution chamber, not at all a nice feeling. Instead of experiencing those negative feelings, you can learn hoe to replace them with calmness and confidence.

In this article we are trying to give you some ideas about relaxation training, how you can deal with your nerves well before your exam days. It's important to start early with your training. The practice exercises are pleasant and productive and , once you get the hang of it, you will be looking forward to your relaxation practices each day and it will keep you vibrant.

Learn to relax

Learning how to relax is really the process of getting rid of worry and other negative thoughts.

Some students face exams with very active minds. First of all it would be little bit difficult to control your mind. Because our minds have been subjected to years and years of stimulation, arousal and provocation , with no time being spent on learning how to quiet the mind, it will be hard but enjoyable work acquiring the skills of relaxation.

It's important to emphasis that learning how to relax is a long term process, that means about three months of practice will be required to achieve the full effect. I accept the fact that you guys have very little time for your O/L exam. But don't be disheartened, if you properly practice it, you will learn how to relax yourself in a little time.

Practice everyday

Give the priority to "relaxation practice" on your daily to do list. Remember , the more you practice, the more you learn to relax. Learning how to relax might sound simple but in fact it's not, if you won't regularly work at it to perfect the skill.

How much to practise

Of course as a beginner it's enough if you can practice at least five minutes per a day. If you extend the time of practice, you may spend the most time in day dreaming and worrying about the exam.

When you become progressively more skilful in controlling the activity of your mind, you can increase the length of practising time. When you do it regularly and , ultimately you got used to it, you can lengthen the time up to twenty minutes. You better do it in two ten minutes periods.

Warning

When you're too busy you might feel like skipping the practice. But you know, these are the most important days to be relaxed. Stick to you routine and turn your mind off the pressure of the day and on the relaxation technique.

In addition to providing you a valuable practice and a well needed rest, the time spent relaxing is also aiding to form a habit of personal discipline, that means being able to get to and through the important tasks of the day.

Attitude

It's important to develop a positive attitude towards relaxing. Avoid shouting at yourself , Relax..! Relax..! You better say it calmly like this " I'm going to relax now ".

Forcing yourself to relax will complicate the whole process of relaxing process. Just sit back and let it happen... simple as that.....

Find a quiet place

Find an undisturbed place to relax. If you're at home turn off TV and mobiles and take the phone off the hook. If you think households will call in on you, explain them about you relaxation programme and put on a paper on the door saying " Do not disturb".

Make yourself comfortable

Find somewhere comfortable and get started. It's not advisable to stretch out on your bed, especially if you're practising late in the day. There's too much conditioning for your mind to cope with a tired mind and body and the prone position in bed. Try to arrange your practice time sitting up, standing up and so on.

Breathing

To start, close your eyes and focus your attention on your breathing. Listen to the soft whistling sound as the air flows in and out. Your belly should be moving in and out as you breathe.

After about a minute or two of concentrating on your breathing, start counting from one to ten on your inhalation and saying to yourself 'Relax" as you exhale. For example, on the first inhalation, say one and see the number one in your mind.

On exhalation, say relax and see the word r-e-l-a-x in your mind. Continue the counting process until you feel quiet and your mind is focused and undisturbed by fleeting thoughts.

The counting process is actually a convenient way to prevent extraneous thoughts and ideas from entering your mind and disturbing you.

If your mind is actively occupied with the sights and sounds of the number sequence followed by the word " relax", then it will be difficult for other thoughts to distract you.

Ultimately, just saying the word "relax" will evoke the relaxation response in you, but for the present it will be necessary to go beyond this level.

Attention

Focusing your attention can be quite difficult, if you have a very active mind. Try the following scene or a similar one according to your choice. Make the scene as real as possible, experiencing as many of the sensual aspects as you can.

You are on a holiday

I've gone on a holiday to Hikkaduwa beach and all my needs are catered. Today I have walked to a distant beach, far removed from my place. I'm standing at the back of the beach in the shade of some palm trees.

I can hear the chirping of some birds overhead and can hear the rustling of the palm fronds as they move in the gentle wind. Looking out across the golden- white sands of the beach, I can see the blue green water of the ocean. Further out to sea, the water becomes a rich, intense blue and then terminates in the arc of the horizon. Overhead one large puffy white cloud drifts lazily across the sky from right to left.

As the day is warm, I decide to go down to the water. My feet make contact with the sand and I'm immediately aware of the lovely warmth. I can feel the warmth radiating up through the soles of my fee in to my legs...my abdomen..my chest..arms..neck..and head.

So warm, so pleasant. As I walk , almost in the slow motion down to the water, I can feel the powdery, soft sand slowly giving way under my feet. The sand is very soft and very fine.

I come to the smooth, cool sand , left damp by the receding tide. The sand is firm but my feet leave their prints as I walk. I approach the water's edge and then proceed in to the water to calf - depth. The water is cool and very refreshing.

I look down in to the crystalline clear water and can see on the bottom several fragments of broken shell and a large starfish with purple and blue markings on its upper surface. I can see two small crabs scurrying away from me and a small school of silvery fish darting here and there. The water is so clean and clear that I scoop up several handfuls and splash it over my body. Very cool and refreshing.

Now I walk back up on to the dry sand and stretch out on my beach towel, face upwards. I can feel the penetrating warmth of the sand working its way up in to my back. I can feel droplets of water slowly running off the upper surface of my body .

The sun warms and dries my body , so warm ....so pleasant...Lying on the e beach , I can only bear the gentle lapping of the waves upon the sand . Occasionally , a seagull calls as it flies overhead , but apart from these sounds , it's blissfully quiet. So quiet , so calm.... so relaxing...

To be continued.......