Exams... Ick
Hands up who has never stressed about exams. Even if only a tiny bit.
For most of us, exams are the most pressurised times of our lives.
And (a little bit of) stress does us good. How could we motivate ourselves through 100 pages of The Russian Revolution if we weren't remotely bothered?
So everyone has bad days. Sometimes our stress levels get out of hand. This can stop us performing at our best. And mess with our body as well as our mind.
What are the symptoms?
- Difficulty getting to sleep or difficulty waking up in the morning
- Constant tiredness
- Forgetfulness
- Unexplained aches and pains
- Poor appetite
- Loss of interest in activities
- Increased anxiety and irritability
- Increased heart rate
- Migraines/headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
If you've noticed three or more of the above symptoms and you've experienced them for a few weeks you may need to do something about your stress levels.
So how should I deal with exam stress?
- Learn to recognise when you're stressing out. A break or a chat with someone who knows the pressure you're under will get things into perspective.
- Avoid comparing your abilities with your mates. Those "Oh my God I've only read Macbeth 17 times” conversations are such a wind up. Everyone approaches revision in different ways, so just make sure you've chosen the method that works best for you. Make a realistic timetable. Stick to it.
- Eat right. Treat yourself like a well honed machine. Fresh fruit and veg. Proper breakfasts. No one can think straight on Coffee and Cornflakes.
- Sleep well. Wind down before bed. Don't revise under the duvet - your bed is a sanctuary not a desk. Get your 8 hours.
- Exercise. Nothing distresses the mind faster than physical activity. Build it into your timetable. Being a sloth makes our mind sloppy too.
- Quit the bad habits. Cigarettes. Alcohol. Never stopped anyone being stressed for long.
- Panic is often triggered by hyperventilating (ie quick, shallow breaths). So if you feel yourself losing it during the exam, sit back for a moment and control your breathing. Deep breath in and out through the nose. Counting to five each way.
- Steer clear of any exam 'post-mortem'. It doesn't matter what your mate wrote for Question 3(b). It's too late to go back and change your answers, so it will just make you worry even more.
- Ultimately, don't lose sight of the fact that there is life after exams. Things might seem intense right now, but it won't last forever.
Further help and advice
Beat stress and get better grades
Exam stress advice from ChildLine
How to cope with exam stress
Written by Dr Melissa Sayer
Last updated 17th June 2007
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danielle , 14
i have extreme exam phobia !, last timei had some i got that stressed and ill that i got really sick and my teachers had to keep walking past fanning me ! thank you so much for the advise as i have some GCSE'S coming up soon, the teachers are all saying that there the most important things that you will do in your life, thay dont help at all ! but you advise does i will do all you said to de- stress ! thank you
sarah, 17
I got so stressed over my GCSE's! my school put a lot of pressure on us, my mum vcouldn't believe some of the comments our teachers made, like our french teacher telling our class off because everyone got an A or A* in the mocks and not everyone got an A*. I had no revision plan (that i stuck to anyway), didn't get enough sleep, didn't eat well- it wasn't good. However it all turned out well, i got good results and now for Alevels i know to start planning much earlier!
andrea, 20
I've been at uni doing my exams and this year i had 5 exams in 4 days. The 2 hardest and longest in 1 day. i went to the gp and she gave me a leaflet about stress with exams which was good and adviced me to go to another clinic which helps with stress. I found them useful and still use the advice in everyday life.
Revathi, 18
actually, exam is very stressful 4 me. i dislike that.
Nick, 16
Yeah. Just reading through this having just done my Standard Grades and during this period I lost interest in playing my drums. Which has taken its toll obviously..and I'm only just starting to get back into them. I agree with the comments here too. Revision timetable and work hard for those few weeks. Hopefully it'll be worth it!Results in a couple of weeks ;)Also, I found that drinking lots of water and having chewing gum when I was revising helped me concentrate. Revising for say about 45 mins and then having a break also worked for me. (I think someone said something similar above).Whatever works for you =D
Melissa, 13
I am going to do my SATS and 4 gcses in year 9, the tip from me, is to revise for 10 minutes then have a 5 minute break, revise fr another 10 mins and have a break, do this for two hours, the next day you can build it up, 15 mins of revision and 5 mins break, it helps!!!
Jenny, 16
I also suffered a lot during my exams. First, I was so stressed I started pulling out my hair on my forehead, there is now a slight patch of baldness there. Also, I lost interest in everything that made me smile. Then, I started to scratch my arms a lot more, causing my eczema to become worse. I lost my appetite. I could barely smile. I cried myself to sleep.I had become a living zombie.I raised awareness by telling my mum that I was suffering from stress but she told me not to be stupid, she even had the cheek to tell me she would be stressed if I didn't get great marks in my exams. That crumpled me up deep inside, I had lost confidence completely.I couldn't believe how selfish she was.Now that the exams are over, I am recovering bit by bit. It had taken me 2 weeks after my last exam to smile properly again, and I am slowly regaining confidence.And I have also learned that there IS life after exams - passed or failed. If I have not done quite well I can slowly work my way up until I am ready. Till now, I shall have to wait for the dreaded results in August...
Martin, 17
The biggest help is to plan your revision. Start early as well around 9 in the morning. In the exam planning is essential. Spend about 10 minutes on planning an essay style question if applicable. Regular breaks between revision sessions around 45 minutes. Never lose sight of why you are revising. Create targets, get plenty of exam technique in. I am from the North of Ireland and well my exams are over in 2 days!!! Think of the after exams situation and how good it is going to be. Thus you should be motivated to revise. Last minute revision I think it when you learn the most but never leave to the las day. Plan weeks in advance....Good Luck
Essi, 16
After reading that 'symptons' list above, I can definately say that I'm stressed! But I'm struggling with the short time frame, rushed lessons and organisation of my time; not revision. When I am about to revise I do something to focus my mind, like trampolining. Because I'm focused on hitting the X, my mind has to become alert. My best tip for revision is to do something to make you focus first, even colouring in stuff(dont laugh) can help. The proof? Well all the top neuroscientist recomend the sam sort of thing .. and well take a look at my A*'s. lol whoooooooooop!
Natasha, 17
If u plan how ur gonna revise it will help a lot. Randomly opening a book and starting 2 read is not gonna help u in an exam. Sort out what u do and dont understand, spend more time studying the bits u dont understand and do more questions or essays on them. Don't just read and read - makes notes, ask people to test you, do question papers, etc so it really goes into your head. Get a good night's sleep every night but have a 'power nap' if you're sleepy during the day. Try to start revision as early as possible, esp. if u have a lot 2 revise. It may be an inconvenient truth, but the more exam questions u do, the less scary they are during the real exam and the better u will answer them. It's worth working really hard for a few weeks because the rewards are massive - great results, no retakes, praise and respect from everyone u know and then 2 or 3 months of doing whatever u want!
tayla, 14
i am doing 3 gcse's early and ive only finished 1 atm but that was very stressful and i have learned now that if you revise the sublect every night for around a half an hour for a while you learn allot easier and you wont be stressed when it comes to your gcse's
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