Embracing the exam time stress By Shailee Koranne Grade 10, White Oaks Secondary School t's exam season and suddenly some minds are clueing in -- gears are snapping in place and textbooks are being cracked open to pages that were at first, ignored. Other people have been ready all along, thumbing through pages and pages of review work, or trusting their natural knack for the subjects for which they are writing exams. It can be a stressful and an emotional time for many people. It definitely has been for me, and I know that many of my peers are struggling as well. No one can think of anything but the negative consequences that could come from an exam that may not go well for them. A bad final grade in the course, having to face disappointment, screaming, and punishment from parents -- those are the biggest factors contributing to the terror that students suffer prior to examinations. Tears are spilled, paper cuts from intense textbook page flipping are bandaged and migraines are tamed with a few headache pills before the student sets foot into the examination room. After stepping out of the room, more tears may be spilled; maybe out of joy, maybe out of anguish. Those previous paper cuts may throb because a pen was held to them so long. The headaches may come back. There is an unbelievable amount of pressure on students to do their best, and that pressure can be dangerous. Student stress rates are arguably the highest during exam season. People can memorize dozens of formulas and definitions, but most fail to remember that even if this time may not go well for them, it's not the end of the world. I don't blame them, though. Rarely does someone come along and say, "You will be fine, and there is See Bad page 16 15 · Friday, January 27, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com I New 2012 Infiniti G25 G4TK72 AA00 Finance APR Sk#G12062 1.9 % $ Downpayment @ 72 months** 7,900 $ Payment per month incl hst 499 · Standard Leather · 218 Hp · Available Intelligent Awd · 7 Speed Auto Transmission · Intelligent Key With Push Button Start Until Jan. 31, 2012 earn 5,000 aeroplan miles with the purchase of any vehicle. EARN 5,000 AEROPLAN® MILES ® Aeroplan is a registered trademark of Aeroplan Canada Inc. ONLY AT OAKVILLE INFINITI! infiniti.ca G Sedan G Coupe G Convertible FX35/50 EX35 M37/56 QX56 Infiniti pricing based on a new 2012 Infiniti G37x premium package. (G4XG72 CP00). Includes $1950 Freight, $29.20 Tire Stewardship Fee, $5 OMVIC fee and $100 Air Conditioning Tax. HST and License are extra. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT OAKVILLEINFINITI.COM TO VIEW OUR SELECTION OF CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLES