The College of Education - Qurna at the University of Basra organized a scientific symposium entitled “The impact of exam pressures on the psychology of university students/students of the Chemistry Department as a model.”
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The symposium aimed to educate university students about the dangers of exam pressures from multiple aspects, the first being the psychological aspect, then the mental aspect and the behavioral aspect.The symposium, which was attended by M.M. Saif Muhammad Jassim, head of the guidance unit, and student Aya Hood Jabbar, a student in the Chemistry Department, included a review of the types of psychological pressures, the causes of those pressures and ways to get rid of them due to their negative effects on the academic achievement and psychological state of students, and a discussion of psychological issues. Associated with exam anxiety.The researcher conducted a field study on the impact of exam stress on the psychology of university students. The results showed that exam stress negatively affects the academic performance and psychological state of students, as anxiety levels were more pronounced among females compared to males. The results also showed an inverse relationship between anxiety and achievement. The greater the anxiety, the lower the academic performance. As the main findings showed:
1. Exam pressures affect most students psychologically and academically.
2. Females are more anxious and stressed than males because of their extreme eagerness to succeed.
3. Males tend to hide anxiety, but statistics confirm that they suffer from noticeable levels of stress.
4. Excessive anxiety leads to a decline in academic performance as a result of distraction and poor concentration.
The symposium recommended the necessity of:
1- Providing psychological support through counseling centers within the university.
2-Improving the exam system to make it a less stressful and more reassuring experience.
3-Developing teaching methods to encourage scientific thinking and enhance academic performance.
4- Organizing workshops and guidance programs to reduce exam anxiety.
Department of Media and Government Communication
