Exam Stress
General Exam Stress-Busting Tips:
Believe in yourself. You wouldn't have been given a place on the course if you didn't have the ability to do it. Therefore, if you prepare for the exams properly you should do fine, meaning that there is no need to worry excessively.
Don't try to be perfect. It's great to succeed and reach for the stars. But keep things in balance. If you think that "anything less than A+ means I've failed" then you are creating mountains of unnecessary stress for yourself. Aim to do your best but recognize that none of us can be perfect all of the time.
Take steps to overcome problems. If you find you don't understand some of your course material, getting stressed out won't help. Instead, take action to address the problem directly by seeing your course tutor or getting help from your class mates.
Don't keep things bottled up. Confiding in someone you trust and who will be supportive is a great way of alleviating stress and worry.
Keep things in perspective. The exams might seem like the most crucial thing right now, but in the grander scheme of your whole life they are only a small part.
Tips for the revision period:
Leave plenty of time to revise so that you don't get into a situation of having to do last minute cramming. This approach will help to boost your confidence and reduce any pre-exam stress as you know you have prepared well.
Develop a timetable so that you can track and monitor your progress. Make sure you allow time for fun and relaxation so that you avoid burning out.
As soon as you notice your mind is losing concentration, take a short break. You will then come back to your revision refreshed.
Experiment with several alternative revision techniques so that revision is more fun and your motivation to study is high.
Don't drink too much coffee, tea and fizzy drinks; the caffeine will 'hype' you and make your thinking less clear. Eat healthily and regularly; your brain will benefit from the nutrients.
Regular moderate exercise will boost your energy, clear your mind and reduce any feelings of stress.
Try out some yoga, tai chi or relaxation techniques. They will help to keep you feeling calm and balanced, improve your concentration levels and help you to sleep better.
Tips for the exam itself:
Avoid panic. It's natural to feel some exam nerves prior to starting the exam, but getting excessively nervous is counterproductive as you will not be able to think as clearly.
The quickest and most effective way of eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close your eyes and take several long, slow deep breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole nervous system. Simultaneously you could give yourself some mental pep-talk by mentally repeating "I am calm and relaxed" or "I know I will do fine".
If your mind goes blank, don't panic! Panicking will just make it harder to recall information. Instead, focus on slow, deep breathing for about one minute. If you still can't remember the information then move on to another question and return to this question later.
After the exam don't spend endless time criticizing yourself for where you think you went wrong. Often our own self assessment is far too harsh. Congratulate yourself for the things you did right.
What is the proper age to start Qur'an
What is the proper age to start Qur'an?
Answered by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam, Darul Iftaa
Question: When should parents start teaching their child how to read Qur'an? Also, what is the appropriate age for a child to start memorizing Qur'an? I heard before the age of seven, children should only play and no teaching is required. When they reach seven, then parents should start teaching them to pray and other things. Is this correct?
Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Parents are responsible for the religious and worldly education of a child. Children should be taught the book of Allah, both its method of recitation and actual implementation of the injunctions contained therein.
They should also be taught the disciplines of life, basics of Islamic doctrine that includes Aqidah, oneness of Allah and His attributes, Seerah of the blessed Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), basics of what is lawful and what is unlawful, the practical fiqh with regards to prayer, fasting, and other duties.
From an Islamic perspective, there is no fixed age before or after which the parents may or may not teach children the Qur’an or any other aspect of Islamic knowledge. As such, a child may differ from another in his mental ability and intellectual capacity. Some children are seen to mature before others. At times, it is observed that a child is similar to another in age, but the difference in their understandings is huge.
Therefore, this will be a decision that is made by the respective parents of the child. If a child shows signs of excellence and has a great memory, it would be wise to begin teaching him Qur’an even at an early age. Especially, as memorisation is very effective at a young age. There have been incidents in Islamic history, where a child is born having memorised many parts of the Qur’an due to the fact that the mother had been regularly reciting the Qur’an during pregnancy.
However, if this is having an affect on a child, then parents should start teaching him/her later on when they have grown slightly older. Some children may be good at grasping other things, such as good habits, knack of getting domestic work done, etc, rather than memorisation. For them, it would be wise to learn the social conducts and behaviours of life, rather than the more nitty-gritty aspects of knowledge.
However, it is generally observed, that memorisation is most effective when carried out at a young age. There are many examples where children as young as seven memorized the Qur’an and that it did not have a harmful affect on them in any way. I my self (not boasting, may Allah save me, but merely giving an example of personal experience) began memorising the Qur’an at the age of seven and with the grace of Allah Almighty, I finished at nine, and I don’t for one moment regret for having done so. The memorisation at such an age becomes so firm that even if one is neglectful of revision (as I am, may Allah forgive me), it does not become lost so easily.
May Allah inspire the children of this Ummah in learning, practising and preaching the knowledge of Islam, and becoming a source of guidance for the whole of humanity.
And Allah knows best.
Answered by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam, Darul Iftaa of the Hanafi fiqh list.