School Anxiety: What It Is and How Students Cope with Exam Pressure
When you feel your heart race before a test, can’t sleep the night before an exam, or avoid talking about school because it makes you sick to your stomach—you’re not alone. This is school anxiety, a psychological response to the overwhelming pressure of academic performance, especially in high-stakes education systems like India’s CBSE or ICSE boards. It’s not just nervousness. It’s a persistent fear of failure that affects focus, sleep, and even physical health. Many students in India face this daily, not because they’re weak, but because the system treats exam scores like life-or-death outcomes. The IIT JEE, a brutal engineering entrance exam that decides futures for hundreds of thousands, and the UPSC Civil Services Exam, a test so hard it breaks even the most disciplined minds, aren’t just exams—they’re cultural milestones that turn classrooms into pressure cookers.
School anxiety doesn’t show up in report cards. It shows up in skipped meals, crying fits before tests, and students who say, "I’m fine," while their hands shake. It’s worsened by comparisons—parents asking why they didn’t score like their cousin, teachers singling out low performers, and social media feeds full of "toppers" who make everyone else feel behind. The CBSE syllabus, known for its volume and fast pace, directly feeds into this cycle. When you’re expected to master 12 subjects in a year, with no room for mistakes, anxiety isn’t optional—it’s built into the system.
What’s missing isn’t more study time. It’s understanding. Students need to know that feeling this way doesn’t mean they’re failing—it means they’re human. The posts below don’t offer quick fixes. They show real stories: how students survive IIT JEE prep without burning out, how parents can stop adding pressure, why some schools are finally listening, and what small daily habits actually help. You’ll find advice from those who’ve been there—not from experts in ivory towers, but from students who learned to breathe again.
Maths has a reputation as the most disliked subject in schools around the world. This detailed article explores why maths creates so much anxiety for students, what the data says about those feelings, and how both parents and teachers can help kids overcome their maths phobia. Expect honest insights, actionable tips, and a look at how culture, teaching methods, and mindset shape our least-favorite lessons.