Study stress

Siya is currently in the first standard and it is just a few days that the school has started. In the parents teachers meeting held last week, I could see anxiety, nervousness, tension and complete stress on all parents face. This is just so hard to believe right! A child in first standard and mom is all worried already about the progress of the child. So here is my interpretation of the whole thing.

Although most people think that 'studying' and 'learning' are synonyms, they are not. There is a very important distinction: 'studying' is the devoted time and activity which may or may not lead to learning, while 'learning' is the actual process of acquiring knowledge or insight.

Learning is good; studying is a necessary evil at best. While both can cause stress, study stress is a greater culprit. What's wrong with studying? The problem is 'study' is confused with 'memorization', which is energy intensive and generally not very efficient compared to an actual hands-on learning experience. Repetition is the mother of learning if we are talking about a physical activity or a complex mental simulation - but not memorization.

The key to reducing study stress is to get to know your own learning processes a bit better, and use your time and mental energy more efficiently. Can you study with a hands on approach? Do that. Make a game out of it. Understand, don't memorize.

Be clear about your goal and use the motivation it gives you. Study stress can easily be converted into a healthy tension from challenge - if you are clear about your goals.

Tomorrow - Right brain thinking inculcated in kids....