For young people studying and preparing for exams, there can often be a big sense of pressure. We often use ‘stress’ and ‘pressure’ interchangeably, but they are quite different. Pressure can be a time where we have a lot to do, but this can be a positive and motivating experience, and help us move forward and grow. Stress on the other hand can feel negative, and can make it harder to us to complete tasks and study.
Some signs you may be feeling stressed are:
- Not speaking as regularly with close friends and family
- Feeling moody and low
- Having trouble making decisions
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Lack of motivation to do anything
- Difficulty getting to sleep or waking up
- Frequent headaches or backaches
- Feeling sick or nauseous
- Fidgeting, nail biting, grinding your teeth etc
If you’re feeling stressed it’s OK! A certain amount of stress is understandable during exams. There are lots of resources here at school and at home to be able to better help you manage your stress. Everyone has their strategies and techniques that work for them, so you might have to try a few different things before you find what works for you.
Here are some tips that can help you with exam stress:
- Figure out and stick to a sleep and bedtime routine, this will help you get a good nights sleep and give your brain time to recharge
- Reward yourself when you’ve achieved a study goal
- Allow yourself time to relax – try out activities like deep breathing, meditation or listening to music
- Have a quiet space where you study
- Make a plan of what you want to work on or study each session – break that down into small tasks and only focus on one task at a time
- Ask for help – if something isn’t making sense, or you can’t get your study routine down ask a friend, a teacher or your parent what worked for them
- Talk to someone – if you feel like the stress is piling up then talk to a friend, a teacher or your parent – or come over to the counselling office and have a confidential chat with us
On the morning of exams try and be prepared before hand – have your clothes, stationary, books etc organised the night before. Eat a nice breakfast in the morning. If you feel yourself getting worried before the exam spend some time focussed on your breathing – keep it slow and even.
Remember you’ve got this!
Take your time to read through the exam paper, underline questions and key works if you want to. Work out a time budget for the questions in exams and try and have time at the end to re-read.
Remember to reward yourself after the exam! Congratulate yourself!
If you’ve got any questions or worries or you’d just like a chat feel free to email the counsellors at [email protected]
Maddison Kennedy and Naomi Walton
Merici College School Counsellors
