Education

WASSCE/BECE: How to restart your brain when it goes blank during an exams

The brain goes blank in the exams hall sometimes. This well-researched post is to provide suggestions as to how WASSCE/BECE exams candidates can boost their memory techniques if the brain goes blank in the exams hall. This is worth knowing ahead of any examination.

The brain kind sometimes hibernates in the exams hall when you need it to be smart and help recollect vital information to help you answer your questions. This can be very frustrating.

There is nothing worse than sitting in an exam and your mind going completely blank.

There is no limit to the power of the human mind. The more concentrated it is, the more power is brought to bear on one point. Swami Vivekananda

Sometimes, you may be providing solutions to a question just at the beginning of that critical moment when you are sure the ideas are pouring in. Sometimes you may go blank from the word go!

Such an unfortunate occurrence when the brain goes blank in the exams hall is actually a nervous reaction by the brain to the exams related pressure of the moment. A quick heartbeat or fear after hearing start work is enough to put you in this state of the brain going blank in the exams hall.

What to do when the brain goes blank in the exams

When you become the master of your mind, you are a master of everything.- Swami Satchidananda

The first thing to do when the brain goes blank in the exams is to keep calm. Keep cool, take a slow deep breath …in and out, and do not worry. Reassure your self that everything will come back, eventually. If you panic, it will become difficult to recover. Sit back, relax, and breathe deeply.

Again, stop worrying about the exam and play a good trick on your brain. Think of something different and away from the exams. This could be a nice joke, an interesting TV program you watched, or a friend who cares so much about you. Taking your mind off the exams will boost your memory and reactivate the needed connection and common exams mistakes can also be avoided.

When you’ve calmed down, you will be in a position to start getting your brain working again. When you are sure you are ok, keep a positive mindset, and calmly read through the question again.

However, if you have attempted it up to a certain point, go through your response to check if you were on track as your panic may well have confused things. By doing this, you will realign your brain with the question and gain the memory back. Your memory will hopefully trigger what you were reading.

If you have not read the post on revision and memory techniques kindly take a look at it after reading this and you would find it fairly easy to recall things if the brain goes blank in the exams.

When you gain the needed alertness, focus your mind on relevant parts of your revision that relate to the question you are answering and this may get you back on the move again.

This is one way of reactivating your memory through the back door which is likely to trigger the relevant memory areas. If your brain drys up in an exam, the above-discussed technique may be very helpful.

There is nothing as dangerous as fear in the exams. Fear can cripple your thinking ability and reduce your energy and inner strength. It has the ability to make your brain goes blank in the exams but in the face of that, stay calm, breathe deeply, and tell yourself…relax and don’t panic. Do your best to take your mind elsewhere for a while and read through your work so far. Try to recollect some of the related topics you covered during the revision to trigger your memory via the ‘back door’. Easy ways to exercise the brain can also help you avoid this from occurring.