Letters from a Friend

Exam and study stress

Exam and study stress

Exams can be stressful, we all know that. Some of us outwardly stress about it , we end up pulling half our hear out or biting our nails until we can't pick anything up . Then there are the silent worriers who try to play it off cool and act as though they know what they're doing even though they are very slowly losing their minds. I was -and still am- the latter. There is also the confident ones who know the exam material inside and out, hell they may have practically written the exam themselves by how confident they are with the material.

I have previously done a blog on how to help anxiety and stress, I am going to be re-visiting some of those steps in this post /rant as well. Good things can always be repeated right?

First of all i would like to address that there is an enormous amount of pressure put on you at this examination period. You feel as though the entire world is on your shoulders and your entire life is based upon this very moment, you need to pass these exams or you will fail in life. I want you to know that this is not the case. I am going to be talking a lot about my personal experiences because my exams are very fresh in my mind. I know that exams aren't the start all and end all of your life. To get onto my english course I needed to get a B and unfortunately I got a C. I know that i should be happy with that grade as I passed but i burst into tears when i got that result because i thought that i wasn't good enough to get onto the course I wanted. Four years later I am currently doing an English Language Degree at university. A letter or number on a page does not define your whole destiny. It is never to late to do anything that you want to do. If worst comes to worst you could re-take your exam. Stress can do more harm then good.

I try my best to always be positive, but not everything in life is positive in the first glance that we have. When i get worked up i get really anxious, i get a poorly tummy and i just need to remove myself from the situation as quick as possible. I ended up really getting worked up before my exam at the end of last year and I did so much worse then I had ever done at university or in school. Though i have learnt much from that experience. Don't worry I didn't fail as my other grades were enough for me to pass! Either way from that experience I have learnt that being stressed and letting that stress consume you could be more harm then it can be good.

Now I would like for you to do a little exercise for me whilst you read the next few lines. I would like you to imagine opening that brown envelope or opening that email which gives you your results. I want you to see your desired results, feel the happiness that bubbles in your veins once you realize that you have achieved the results that you wanted. The hope for your future rises and becomes a reality as you're filled with the feeling off success, relief and achievement. Your future is in front of your eyes.

That's a good feeling isn't it? There is no doubt that you'll feel that when you get your results . Though I now disagree with it .

The feeling yes is a good one but i would now like you to visualise a field. there are no paths on this field, there's just flowers. Each of these flowers represent a choice . For example there is the choice to apply to university or collage. The choice to apply for an work placement or the choice to get a job. You have the freedom here to pick the flowers and make a crown or to watch as some flowers bloom. You have the choice to allow these flowers to grow and become reality . Some flowers may take more looking after then others but in the end they will all bloom and be beautiful.

Of course working hard on revising and exams is important , grades are important as they help you get to where you want to be. Putting pressure on yourself to be perfect and get top grades is however not good for your health. Pacing yourself and doing little bits at a time is the best way to do exams and revision, you don't want to overflow your brain with information to the point of it bursting and all the information leaks from your ears. We are not computers we can onkly process and take so much at a time . we are much slower and more forgetful then computers. Our mind may work like a machine sometimes but i would prefer to see our brains as once again either plants or pets, if we feed our brain the right things then they can grow healthy and active whilst if we fail to train our brains or overwater/feed the plants they would still end up dying. Too little and too much of one thing can mean life or death to a plant like it can be for your brain.

We are all amazing creatures with the compacity to think amazing things. We can solve problems ,we created the quadratic equation for crying out loud ! (negative b plus and minus the square root of b squared minus four ac all over two a ) we have created buildings, money , civilisation. We have created family and relationships. We write and we learn and we share. Exams or failed grades are not the end of the world, though when you get fantastic results it is only one more stepping stone to your bright future, if you don't get the grades that you want then you just need to leap a little bit further the next time.

To conclude, Stress naturally comes with exams though what really matters is how you deal with this stress. You need to take time for yourself to stay calm and relax, don't let the workload push you down because if you do, you will be losing the power and control over your emotions and mind. I would recommend a study journal or timetable, so that you don't overwork yourself. Making flash notes is a good idea as it is a very simple and easy task to learn simple yet important information. During my exams i used meditation, it helped me to relax and sort out ways in which I was thinking unhealthily .

Positive affirmations would also be beneficial to your mood and success, write down a list of sentences such as "I am successful" or "I am intelligent" read these every morning before school, r4evision or an exam to start your day! Remember to take time for yourself! both your mental and physical health! There is no point in making yourself sick with worry because then when you come to do the exam , you may not perform as well. Have faith and confidence in your abilities to do well, Work hard, but not too hard. Allow yourself time to breathe through your work and don't let your studies suffocate you. You'll get through this and at the end you'll have a beautiful flower garden!

sending love, light and happiness!

GOOD LUCK!

Nadine