Preparation For Oppositions With Psychological Support
Preparing for a competitive selection process is much more than just memorizing.
In the same way that there is a difference between theory and practice when solving a problem, it is important to attend not only to the need to learn the syllabus, but also to be in the best possible state when studying and face the exam. That’s why, Psychological assistance can be very useful when preparing for exams. Let’s see how he does it.
In what aspects does it benefit us to have the help of a psychologist when preparing for competitive exams? Here you will find a brief summary on this topic.
1. Helps manage time
Small changes in day-to-day habits can make a difference after several months of study. However, without help, it can be difficult to know the best way to organize your time.
Psychologists offer personalized attention to provide solutions adapted to the needs of each person depending on what their characteristics are and the particularities of the context in which they live (amount of free time, family responsibilities, etc.).
In this way, the student can find a constant routine that allows him to get the most out of the time he has to study, and the positive effects of this accumulate day by day.
Stress is probably the most important psychological phenomenon to take into account in the preparation of oppositions. It serves to keep us alert about the need to prepare for a challenge that is getting closer every day, but if it accumulates in excess, these peaks of stress and anxiety can hinder our progress (in addition to making us have a very bad time).
Given this, psychologists have a whole arsenal of tools to prevent the appearance of stress problems. For example, we train people in relaxation exercises and focus on the goal, and we also give behavioral guidelines to create anti-stress habits before discomfort appears.
3. Provides memorization and study routines
Mnemonic tricks and study routines help take advantage of the time spent reading notes and technical texts. Virtually everyone can memorize at an astonishing rate if they acquire the right methods.
4. Train in solving questions
Psychological intervention also serves to prepare for the specific context of the exam, not only to face the study process. To do this, specific relaxation exercises and routines are proposed to promote the recovery of memorized content.
5. Train in knowledge reconsolidation exercises
Virtually nothing can be learned simply by reading it once. To understand and internalize the information, you have to review both in the study sessions (reading the notes or selected readings in the manual or textbook several times) and outside of them, when the study material is not at hand.
Psychologists help students make the reconsolidation of knowledge a routine, something central to their learning habits.
Let’s see how the psychological assistance process develops for the preparation of oppositions:
Evaluation of potentialities
In this phase, psychologists study what skills and abilities the student already has, to use them to propose one way or another to pose the challenge of preparing to take the exam. On the other hand, in this same phase the “weaknesses” of the person are outlined, to work on strengthening these faculties.
Goal Setting
Once a description of the starting situation has been made, It’s time to specify and set goals. These objectives serve to give direction to the preparation process, and to see at all times whether it is going at a good pace or not, and to make corrections as soon as possible where necessary.
Action plan, monitoring and evaluation
This is the “body” of preparation for the oppositions from a psychological point of view. It is the stage in which the student and psychologist work together not only to arrive at the day of the test in the best possible state (intellectually and emotionally), but also to work on previous aspects, such as motivation, prevention of pathological habits of stress management, the ability to have well-used moments of rest, etc.
Through the evaluation, Students receive feedback about their performance in the preparation of the oppositions, always taking into account the objectives initially set.
Conclusion
Examinations are always a challenge in the face of which relaxing excessively or wasting time is not an option. However, that does not mean that the life of the competitive exam student has to be hell, nor that she has to assume that she cannot control the degree of discomfort or her ability to adapt to this challenge. Psychologists provide support to be able to take control of the situation and minimize the chances of not passing the selection process.
