NEET is a country-level undergraduate competitive test conducted by the National Testing Agency or NTA. Lakhs of aspirants apply for the exam every year, out of which only a few thousands manage to get a medical seat. Because the number of seats is limited, the competition is very high, and students need to study day and night to have solid preparation for the exam. Besides studying hard, candidates need to follow good strategies to ace the NEET exam.
Because of the enormity of the syllabus and the high level of competition, most of the students preparing for the exam are under constant pressure and stress. At such a time, support from parents and loved ones matters a lot for them. No matter how grown-up kids become, they always need the support of their parents. Parents often do not realise this, and even children do not share this need with their parents. This leads to a communication gap; therefore, students are left to face this hard stage of their life alone in the shadows of anxiety and apprehension.
If your kid is preparing for the NEET exam, it is a very challenging and crucial time in his life. You, as parents, have the responsibility to understand and support your child at this moment so that they perform to the best of their abilities. This discussion is aimed at helping you with the ways you can be there for your child during this testing time of their career and be the best parent. Please read on!
How to support your child when preparing for NEET 2022
Monitor your Child Constantly:
If you want your child to score well in the NEET 2022 Exam, you must constantly monitor their activities. Nowadays, there are a lot of distractions all around, and it is very easy for your child to fall prey to those. You can help your child form a proper timetable and urge them to follow it religiously. Oftentimes, students need to nudge to keep themselves going. They need a constant reminder to avoid procrastination and concentrate on their studies. You can help your child by constantly reminding them of their goals and their progress in the preparation. However, it would be best if you were careful to not put too many restrictions on them so that they feel suffocated and try to run away from you. Everything should be done moderately so that your reminders and urges do not give a negative vibe to your child. Adapting smart approaches and strategic techniques based on your child’s psychology is the best way to go about it.
Motivate your Child:
Many students feel unmotivated during their NEET preparation and lose hope of cracking it. This is because the syllabus is enormous, and the seats are very limited. They feel like they are not smart enough to accomplish it. It is your parental responsibility to motivate your child to pursue their goals. You can motivate them by helping them realise that working hard and cracking the exam guarantees a secure and successful future. You can tell them how hard work and diligence can help them achieve anything in life, and the NEET exam is no different. Pep talks and motivational speeches can help your child get the urge to work harder to achieve their goals.
Also Read:
How to Prepare for NEET 2022? 10 Tips & Tricks to Make it Easy to Crack the Exam
NEET 2022: Study Plan and Preparation Strategy
Acquaint them with their Weaknesses:
Not every child is good at every subject. There must be some subjects your child finds easy, while some other subjects must be quite challenging for them. A student acquainted with his weak and strong points has a better chance to crack the NEET exam than the ones who don’t. You should sit with your child in their leisure time and encourage them to discuss their strengths and weaknesses with you. You can also encourage them to work harder and change their weaknesses into strengths through patience and perseverance. This will give your child’s NEET preparation an edge, and he will be better equipped to face the competition.
Do not pressurise your child:
Although monitoring your child and reminding them of their goals is important, pressuring them emotionally and mentally will not help them. In fact, it can affect them adversely and give rise to an effect exactly opposite to what you wish for. It would be best if you were very careful to speak positively in front of them. Your negative attitude and conversations can greatly demotivate them, which will hamper their preparation. While preparing for competitive exams, having good mental health is incredibly important otherwise, your child will mentally collapse.
Take care of your child:
Due to the stress of the exam, your child might skip meals more often, sleep less, and forget to take care of themselves. They might even resort to stress-relieving medicines without realising their harmful effects. It is again your parental duty to supervise the health of your child at this crucial time. You must ensure that your child is consuming a balanced diet full of nutritious meals, having adequate sleep of 7-8 hours per night, and not taking any adverse medications.
Check our visual story on 8 Tips to study smart for NEET 2022
Avoid going to social gatherings and hosting them:
This might be one of the most important points for you to focus on. Many students are unable to concentrate on their studies due to the social engagements at their home or because their parents force them to attend social gatherings with them. They find it very difficult to communicate this with their parents and end up feeling helpless and depressed. They can’t concentrate on their studies at home and can’t run away from home either. You need to realise that at this crucial point of their career, your child might feel distracted by these social engagements. As a parent, you also need to make some sacrifices for your child’s better future. These small compromises from your side will encourage your child to focus on their studies and have better results.
Do not compare your child with other kids:
A big mistake that parents (especially Indian parents) make is that they tend to compare their child’s results with the achievements of other children in the neighbourhood or the social circle. This puts their children under a blanket of enormous stress and sometimes even gives rise to a sense of inferiority complex. As a parent, you should positively support your child. You should highlight their strengths and bring in that confidence in them rather than being a source of low self-esteem vibes for them. You need to realise that every child is different as all of them have different levels of IQ and cognitive abilities. No matter how hard you want it, your child can not outperform his intellectual abilities.
Do not set unrealistic goals for your kid:
You want what is best for your child; you want them to excel in every field and to get the best possible results. Every parent wants that, but every kid does not top the class! While setting goals for your child, be realistic. The goal should be attainable for them and lie within their capacity. Otherwise, it will just lead to stress and anxiety in your child.
Also see: NEET Exam date 2022
Identify warning signs of poor mental health:
Is your child’s exam approaching, and have you noticed some changes in their behaviour? Is he eating less and sleeping more than normal? Is he isolating himself from others, including family members and friends? Is he constantly feeling anxious or restless about the exam? So much so that he is hardly studying? If so, your child may be depressed because of the exam stress. You as a parent should know the warning signs of depression and poor mental health in your child so that you can identify those and try to alleviate those at the earliest possible time. Your child can only excel in exams if he is mentally sound and healthy.
Conclusion
Preparing for a competitive exam like NEET is challenging for any student. Having to go through the whole journey of preparation with the constant fear of failing to crack the exam is a huge challenge. As students spend most of their time at home, you can play a major role in their success. Also, because your kids love and trust you more than anyone else in the world, your love and support could mean a lot to them during the times they feel mentally or emotionally drained. Be the parent you always wanted to have. Be the person your child thanks before everyone else when they hear the news of their successful result. You can make a difference!
