Defining Stress:Stress is the body's natural response to a threatening situation, and stress causes the release of hormones such as adrenaline, which prepare the body for his instinctive response to a threat: flight, fight. or freeze. Adrenaline changes your body's processes, for example, your breathing and heart rate speed up, your senses sharpen, your muscles contract, and your blood pressure increases. These changes help increase your reaction time, which could mean the difference between life or death. However, many people, including students, live in stressful situations on a daily basis, which has a negative effect on their health. Factors causing exam stress: One of the main causes of exam stress exams is the pressure put on students to excel in exams academically. Pressure may be put on the student by family or friends, as well as by the student himself. Pressure placed on the student by family members is often the result of parents wanting their children to perform better than them, causing unnecessary stress on the student. The fear of disappointing family members also leads to high stress levels for the student. Parents have certain expectations of students, such as being accepted into a certain high school or college. These expectations may be unrealistic and not based on the student's strengths and weaknesses. These expectations can also create pressure on the student to meet their parents' expectations, which creates a feeling of inadequacy when they cannot be met. Pressure is also put on the student by himself. The student believes that to be a good student, he must always succeed in school. If the student wants to reach a certain...... middle of paper ......et-depression-in-children/493_4525/causes-of-exam-stress-in-children.html http:/ /brainconnection.positscience.com/tests-stress-problems-for-students/ http://www.kidshelp.com.au/grownups/news-research/hot-topics/exam-stress.php http:// developmentchild.harvard.edu/topics/science_of_early_childhood/toxic_stress_response/ http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2009/5/8/final-exams-causes-students-have-stress-bad-habits/ http: //education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Keeping%20Fit%20for%20Learning/stress.html http://www.15minutes4me.com/article/stress-how-does-stress-tension- affects-teenagers/ http://www.guidetostressmanagement.com/effects-of-stress/effects-of-stress-on-teens.html http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression /Pages/Coping-with-exam-stress.aspx http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/advice/factfile_az/exams_stress