Passing Exams

CEBU, Philippines -  It is only the specially blessed ones among us that do not know the terror in taking examinations.

The majority of us average human beings have, at one time or another, borne the pallor of midnight cramming and

struggled through the tormenting anxiety before an exam,

especially a major one. While the gravity of the preceding

torment is often equally rewarded with a feeling of relief

afterwards - or even an extra bonus of high scores, for the luckier ones - we would all agree

that the stressful

experience is better not there.

The truth is: there is no need for the stress at all. Pre-test anxiety has been proven to hamper performance and, of course, undermine the resulting scores. But is there a way to calmly deal with the pressure?

Passing exams is invariably the number one worry of students. It accounts for most of the agony on campus than any other single cause. Many students want to finish school quickly to be able to free themselves of the recurring stressful episodes of exams.

Sorry to say, exams are not over after graduation - they continue as a way of life wherever we go. As soon as we get our school diplomas, career licenses as well as jobs in government and private companies require passing of some tests. Many job promotions are determined by an employee's score in a test, to complement his actual job performance evaluation.

On the more basic level, one's job is a test that he must pass consistently in order to remain on employment. Even athletes must continuously hone their ability in order to pass the tests at sports competitions.

The discomfort resulting from a fear of exams can be avoided and the fear of exams itself overcome. There are ways to boost test scores, as well. Exams are not designed to be torture events. They are intended to measure the degree of one's mastery of a given subject matter or competence in a given field.

There's no secret formula for passing exams. The best antidote to examination phobia is an open knowledge to all - conscientious study.

A student should regard his studies seriously, regard his schoolwork as a highly paid employee would regard his job. An employee devotes a certain number of hours on his job everyday. A student must do just the same - devote time for school, time focused on study.

It will help to imagine how little the professors in college would be capable of teaching if they were to assume the lax habits of many negligent students. Or, better yet, to imagine how one's own parents would have been able to send him to school, if they never spent dedicated hours at whatever economic endeavors they undertake.

It is said that success is simply "opportunity met with preparation." And what is school but a preparation for a line of profession. So, a student should make the most of his time at school. It doesn't mean, though, that he'll have to remove all fun from his life altogether.

A little self-discipline is all that's needed. Again, it helps to imagine that schooling is a very important job, because it really is! You wouldn't just abandon your job to heed a friend's invitation for a drink. Moreover, you would be very careful not to unduly tire yourself on extraneous activities, in order to preserve your energy for work.

Yes, students are at such a time in their life where they are bursting with curiosity over many things. Their thirst for thrill and excitement is at its greatest. Yet, containing their wild impulses is one of those important tests that they'll have to pass in life. They have the choice whether to indulge in momentary pleasures now and face possible long-term failure later, or to work hard-now, while their energies are high and their bodies strong - to make better possibilities for them in the future.

Mr. John Gokongwei, indisputably one of our country's wealthiest men, revealed the secret of his success. "I have no secret," he once told the graduating class of a Manila university. "What I have is self-discipline."

When Mr. Gokongwei was young, he crisscrossed between school and their family store, most of the time on foot. He had little time for indulging in pleasure; he got himself busy building a better life. John Gokongwei prepared hard and took the test of life seriously. And look where his past efforts have put him now. (FREEMAN)