This is something each one of us go through at least once in our lifetime. Academic pressure is so common that it leads students to indulge in inappropriate acts like cheating, manipulation and even suicide. Academic pressure has a big impact on our mental health. Our education system does not give much importance to student's mental health. It mainly focusses on marks and attendance rather than education or knowledge. While a student is having a mental breakdown or a panic attack s/he will be expected to go to school for attendance.
The four components of academic pressure are:
Academic frustration – leading to children giving up on studying and doing badly in exams.
Academic conflicts – this happens when children are forced to study against their will.
Academic anxieties – the fear of exams.
Academic pressures – The feeling of being overwhelmed by a large syllabus.
But we as individuals can help ourselves to decrease the load of academic pressure. Here I am stating few ways which can help you :
1. DO NOT MAKE A TIMELINE
I have seen people graduate at 30 and leading a happy life. While a woman marrying at 45 and being happy with herself. You do not have to have a timeline for yourself. Do not tell yourself 'Graduate at 22, settling at 25 and marrying at 27'. This doesn't work this way. Work hard and let things happen to you.
2. DO NOT COMPARE
You might have compared your grades and intelligence with your peers. But know, this is just a grade, you dont know their mental condition or the environment at their house. The only person you have to compare yourself to is the old you. Improve your grades and do not compare your improvement with others. Getting 50% after 35% is improvement and not failure.
3. WELL STARTED, HALF DONE.
My father always tells me this, well started, half done. If anything is giving you anxiety or stress then stop thinking about its difficulty level and just give it a start. And your half work is done!
4. FOCUS ON KNOWLEDGE AND GRADES WILL FOLLOW
'Kaabil bano, kaamyabi jhak maarke piche aayegi'. We all have heard this phrase in the movie 3 idiots. But do we incorporate it in our lives? We focus more on marks, grades and what is important material. We do not study for knowledge. Study focussing on gaining knowledge and I promise marks will follow.
5. DO HARD THINGS FIRST
We all have that one subject that we are scared of. We do not even touch the subject because we assume we will not understand it. We keep on studying other things and when exams approach, we are under tremendous pressure.
Simple tip is doing hardest subject first and that will reduce 50% of the stress.
6. MAKE STUDYING A HABIT AND NOT A BURDEN
We often say 'I have to study' 'I have to pass the exam' instead of 'I feel like studying' or 'I want to pass the exam'. Why do we think we have to do this? This means we believe it is a stressor in our lives. We should enjoy studying. Not only from books but studying from different sources like magazines and internet. Make it a habit and not a burden. Study everyday even for a bit. This will not give you stress at the 11th hour.
7. INCORPORATE MORE ANTICIPATION
Studies in the book, The Happiness Advantage, show that simply setting a date for an enjoyable event raises endorphin levels in your brain by 27%.
Always have something to look forward to. Any enjoyable event. It does not have to be big. It can be a date, movie or meeting an old friend.
This will give you a sense of anticipation throughout the week and help you stave off academic stress.This will give you a sense of anticipation throughout the week and help you stave off academic stress.
8. FOCUS MORE ON SYSTEMS RATHER THAN GOAL
Have you ever wondered that winners and losers have same goal yet winner reach their goal and losers do not?
If your goal is to win a dance competition, will you focus on the competition more or your dance practice and workouts? The answer is dance practices.Many runners work hard for months, but as soon as they cross the finish line, they stop training. The race is no longer there to motivate them. When all of your hard work is focused on a particular goal, what is left to push you forward after you achieve it? This is why many people find themselves reverting to their old habits after accomplishing a goal. Similarly, If you want to succeed in life and get good grades without experiencing stress in academics you should focus more on studying, making and following schedules instead of just thinking and focusing about your end goal. Focusing on goal is good but if you follow proper system you will eventually reach your goal.
That was the tips for students who experience academic pressure. But what about parents? Often, parents are the one who put such pressure on the child. I am going to state some tips for parents as well. (Note : there tips are told by parents themselves and are not self made)
1. DO NOT LABELIZE
Parents often put label on their child when they get bad grades or do not perform well in school. They put labels such as 'You're a failure' 'You will never succeed' and 'You're a coward' et cetera. This deteriorate child's mental health and s/he internalize this belief that they can not do anything in life.
Even if a child is not performing well, a parent can talk to them without putting labels.
2. DO NOT COMPARE
Again, it is a very cliché topic but very important. Parents often compare their child by saying 'Your cousin topped her class and look at you' or 'See your friend's annual package, where do you stand?' This has a very big impact on the child's self esteem. S/he is an individual with his or her own unique qualities which can not be compared with others.
It is like telling a fish 'look at that monkey climbing a tree , you are useless'.
3. STOP FOCUSSING ON MARKS
Parents often put emphasis on marks and not other qualities. The pressure of getting good grades makes the child indulge in inappropriate activities such as cheating, bribing and manipulation. Parents should teach the child the value of education and grades and not forcing the child to focus only on marks and getting good grades.
4. BE FRIENDLY
Treat your kids as your friends. Parenting styles are different for every parent but what can be common is being friendly with your child. This is how every child will share there problems with their parents. Being strict and scolding for wrong acts is acceptable but being polite and friendly in general is necessary for kid to open up. Be your child's best friend and see the change in their lives.
5. DO NOT INTERFERE MUCH
Avoid interfering much in their lives. Do not try to know things they do not want to share. If you interfere much they might start hiding things more. If you trust your child, let them do things their way as long you don't feel something is super fishy. Then you may have a polite conversation with them.
6. LET THEM CHOOSE THEIR CAREER PATH
Parents often force their unfulfilled dreams on their child. This way the child feel burdened with the things s/he have no interest in. Psychology says, if you choose your career according to your interest you have more chances of being succesful. In todays world, the work load in every profession is too much and competition is increasing. So if you know you will have to work hardest and give your 100%, then why not in field of your choice?
The four components of academic pressure are:
Academic frustration – leading to children giving up on studying and doing badly in exams.
Academic conflicts – this happens when children are forced to study against their will.
Academic anxieties – the fear of exams.
Academic pressures – The feeling of being overwhelmed by a large syllabus.
But we as individuals can help ourselves to decrease the load of academic pressure. Here I am stating few ways which can help you :
1. DO NOT MAKE A TIMELINE
I have seen people graduate at 30 and leading a happy life. While a woman marrying at 45 and being happy with herself. You do not have to have a timeline for yourself. Do not tell yourself 'Graduate at 22, settling at 25 and marrying at 27'. This doesn't work this way. Work hard and let things happen to you.
2. DO NOT COMPARE
You might have compared your grades and intelligence with your peers. But know, this is just a grade, you dont know their mental condition or the environment at their house. The only person you have to compare yourself to is the old you. Improve your grades and do not compare your improvement with others. Getting 50% after 35% is improvement and not failure.
3. WELL STARTED, HALF DONE.
My father always tells me this, well started, half done. If anything is giving you anxiety or stress then stop thinking about its difficulty level and just give it a start. And your half work is done!
4. FOCUS ON KNOWLEDGE AND GRADES WILL FOLLOW
'Kaabil bano, kaamyabi jhak maarke piche aayegi'. We all have heard this phrase in the movie 3 idiots. But do we incorporate it in our lives? We focus more on marks, grades and what is important material. We do not study for knowledge. Study focussing on gaining knowledge and I promise marks will follow.
5. DO HARD THINGS FIRST
We all have that one subject that we are scared of. We do not even touch the subject because we assume we will not understand it. We keep on studying other things and when exams approach, we are under tremendous pressure.
Simple tip is doing hardest subject first and that will reduce 50% of the stress.
6. MAKE STUDYING A HABIT AND NOT A BURDEN
We often say 'I have to study' 'I have to pass the exam' instead of 'I feel like studying' or 'I want to pass the exam'. Why do we think we have to do this? This means we believe it is a stressor in our lives. We should enjoy studying. Not only from books but studying from different sources like magazines and internet. Make it a habit and not a burden. Study everyday even for a bit. This will not give you stress at the 11th hour.
7. INCORPORATE MORE ANTICIPATION
Studies in the book, The Happiness Advantage, show that simply setting a date for an enjoyable event raises endorphin levels in your brain by 27%.
Always have something to look forward to. Any enjoyable event. It does not have to be big. It can be a date, movie or meeting an old friend.
This will give you a sense of anticipation throughout the week and help you stave off academic stress.This will give you a sense of anticipation throughout the week and help you stave off academic stress.
8. FOCUS MORE ON SYSTEMS RATHER THAN GOAL
Have you ever wondered that winners and losers have same goal yet winner reach their goal and losers do not?
If your goal is to win a dance competition, will you focus on the competition more or your dance practice and workouts? The answer is dance practices.Many runners work hard for months, but as soon as they cross the finish line, they stop training. The race is no longer there to motivate them. When all of your hard work is focused on a particular goal, what is left to push you forward after you achieve it? This is why many people find themselves reverting to their old habits after accomplishing a goal. Similarly, If you want to succeed in life and get good grades without experiencing stress in academics you should focus more on studying, making and following schedules instead of just thinking and focusing about your end goal. Focusing on goal is good but if you follow proper system you will eventually reach your goal.
That was the tips for students who experience academic pressure. But what about parents? Often, parents are the one who put such pressure on the child. I am going to state some tips for parents as well. (Note : there tips are told by parents themselves and are not self made)
1. DO NOT LABELIZE
Parents often put label on their child when they get bad grades or do not perform well in school. They put labels such as 'You're a failure' 'You will never succeed' and 'You're a coward' et cetera. This deteriorate child's mental health and s/he internalize this belief that they can not do anything in life.
Even if a child is not performing well, a parent can talk to them without putting labels.
2. DO NOT COMPARE
Again, it is a very cliché topic but very important. Parents often compare their child by saying 'Your cousin topped her class and look at you' or 'See your friend's annual package, where do you stand?' This has a very big impact on the child's self esteem. S/he is an individual with his or her own unique qualities which can not be compared with others.
It is like telling a fish 'look at that monkey climbing a tree , you are useless'.
3. STOP FOCUSSING ON MARKS
Parents often put emphasis on marks and not other qualities. The pressure of getting good grades makes the child indulge in inappropriate activities such as cheating, bribing and manipulation. Parents should teach the child the value of education and grades and not forcing the child to focus only on marks and getting good grades.
4. BE FRIENDLY
Treat your kids as your friends. Parenting styles are different for every parent but what can be common is being friendly with your child. This is how every child will share there problems with their parents. Being strict and scolding for wrong acts is acceptable but being polite and friendly in general is necessary for kid to open up. Be your child's best friend and see the change in their lives.
5. DO NOT INTERFERE MUCH
Avoid interfering much in their lives. Do not try to know things they do not want to share. If you interfere much they might start hiding things more. If you trust your child, let them do things their way as long you don't feel something is super fishy. Then you may have a polite conversation with them.
6. LET THEM CHOOSE THEIR CAREER PATH
Parents often force their unfulfilled dreams on their child. This way the child feel burdened with the things s/he have no interest in. Psychology says, if you choose your career according to your interest you have more chances of being succesful. In todays world, the work load in every profession is too much and competition is increasing. So if you know you will have to work hardest and give your 100%, then why not in field of your choice?
A must read for every one... Honestly after reading this, i am feeling so motivated. Great work👏
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much!
Deletewell explained the matter of academic pressure.it is worthful .when education system of our get changed.Mentallity of Indian parents ( DOC KA BETA DOC BNEGA .ENGG KA BETA ENGG BANEGA ) have to b changed..if childen study according to their parents choice too might b in future or whole life children suffer from a regret of not studying what they wanted to study . i am happy that blogger have mentioned points about parents too.i think parenting play a vital role in our upbringing .well written hope some parents too might get help or info through this informative blog.
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much! 🌸
Delete2nd and 3rd component are the key points.... Really 👌🏻👌🏻
ReplyDeleteThankyou !!
DeleteWow, just an amazing bolg to read like always and there could be any better time to write about this as we all are at our home with our parents I myself hear a lot about my studies I got labled and what not. And this Indian society is as good as shit Sharma ji k bete k 90% aaye that's an achievement but maine football 50 goal mare then it's just ok or aacha hai bullshit
ReplyDeleteVery well written
Keep writing
Thankyou!!!
DeleteThis blog addresses a long standing issue for Indian students feeling- anxious about the expectations and pressures from the society. I found this talk quite comprehensive as you list some of the most important components of Academic pressure, also reflecting onto the parental aspects.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite commendable that you are using your free time to spread awareness and hopefully help a desperate student in need. It would be interesting if you extend this talk to the interdependencies between the student-parent relationship and the education system with it's base of judgement.
Thankyou for suggestion! :))
Delete