NIRAJ KUMAR lists tips that can help students keep stress away and ace the upcoming Civil Service Examination Preliminary Test
The Civil Service Examination Preliminary Test is just a little more than one month away. The aspiring students preparing for coveted Civil Services Examination which follows strenuous protocol must be going through difficult times in managing their preparation for the upcoming examination.
Stress Management is the most important factor which will keep a potential candidate afloat and help him to swim across the ocean of difficulties to test the fruit of success. Stress Management is the key factor throughout the preparation of examination which will not only keep you motivated but will also help in time management which is another crucial factor in overall preparation of Civil Service Examination.
Each student follows various Stress Management techniques depending on their ecosystem which helps them managing their day to day stress arising out of examination preparation. It is very natural to undergo a certain amount of stress in a competitive examination like Civil Services where more than five lakh students compete with each other for a few hundred jobs every year. The three stage process which candidate has to undergo before final selection further add to the level of stress that a candidate faces.
There are no clear cut measures or formula using which the level of stress can be reduced. Here, I am trying to discuss some of the things which I have practiced during my Civil Services preparation days which now has become part of my day to day life and helps me in managing my stress. The first in the series of such measures is setting your eye on the goal in the manner Arjuna did in The Mahabharata. Other than qualifying Civil Services Examination nothing is visible, everything else can wait for future. Self talk and self faith helps in setting such zeroed upon goal. Believe in yourself with honesty that you are meant to crack this examination and give your best in achieving that. The positive thinking will help in keeping the eye focused on the goal. It is natural to think that "I will not be able to qualify the examination this time" or "I cannot handle this" etc. but one needs to be conscious and keep oneself away from such negative thoughts to creep in and keep believing in your strength. Mind it positive thinking will not only dilute the environment of stress in which you are living but will also help in motivating you work even more harder to achieve the goal.
Apart from this, I strongly believe that open communication especially with parents, siblings and friends regarding how you are preparing for examination and what problems you are facing during that, will relieve you from your daily stress and will recharge you. The fact that the parents equally believe in your capabilities as you, is a major stress booster.
For working hard day in and day out, one needs to be both physically and mentally fit in which eating right, taking a good sound sleep including occasional power naps breaks , yoga, meditation and exercise plays a very important role. It is needless to say that one should avoid smoking, drinking and drug abuse for a fit body and alert mind.
We must realize that one cannot eliminate the stress completely but definitely it can be managed and reduced considerably by adopting measures discussed above. A disciplined, focused and regular study is the key to clear the Civil Services Examination.
The writer is Chief Public Relations Office, South Eastern Railway. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Services (IRTS) officer of the 2007 Batch Civil Services Examination