Exam Tips: Why does mind go blank? How to deal with it during exams; Know its causes and solutions..
Exam Tips: It often happens that students prepare well before the exam, but as soon as they see the question paper in the examination hall, darkness engulfs their eyes. They feel that they have forgotten everything they have read. The more students put pressure on their brains, the more difficult it becomes to remember things. This is called 'mind blank'. It is natural for this to happen during the exam, students should not panic about it. The suggestions of Jason M Lodge, Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland, can help students taking board exams get rid of this problem.
Role of the brain
The main reason for darkness in front of the eyes is the human brain. Therefore, first of all, the brain has to be understood. Its hypothalamus part is responsible for the hormones related to emotions in the body. At the same time, the part called memory door, the hippocampus, helps in remembering something for a long time. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) part of the brain is known for logical thinking, decision-making, and self-control. These parts are not able to work properly under stress.
Why does it happen?
The minds of most students consider the exam as a danger signal. When they go to the examination hall, they feel more stress and pressure. This activates the stress-inducing hormones norepinephrine and cortisol. Norepinephrine inhibits the ability to think and understand by increasing the PFC, making it difficult to concentrate. Cortisol affects the hippocampus and hinders the ability to remember things. Due to this, emotions overpower the thinking ability of students, due to which there is a kind of darkness in front of the eyes.
This can be avoided this way.
This is not a serious problem during the exam. It can be got rid of in some ways. Teach students to manage stress in such a way that it does not overpower them. Make them practice relaxation techniques or cognitive-behavioral methods. This will make the students take the exam as a normal challenge instead of being afraid of it. Apart from this, by practicing real exam conditions, students will be able to adjust better to the pressure. This will not shake their confidence and their performance will improve.
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