Waiting for your exam results can be extremely stressful. Panic, guilt and fear about the future are just some of the many feelings you may be experiencing.There’s nothing wrong with any of this – up and down the country thousands of young people are experiencing the same emotions.
The countdown of Result Day can be a stressful and anxious time for all students and every year the dread of checking university results online or opening the exam results envelope delivers a wide range of emotions- some students will have big smiles on their faces when they achieve good results, others will be bitterly disappointed having missed out on much needed grades to go to university or to make their first step on the career ladder. However, this is normal and a little bit of stress can actually help you to get motivated for dealing with problems and pressure. It”s normal to feel stressed before exam results but too much of it is not good for your peace of mind.
There are lots of reasons why you might feel stressed around results time, including:
n The pressure to get good results for the course or career you want.
n Pressure from parents and family who expect you to get good results.
n Worrying about the future and whether you’ll make the right choices for the year ahead.
n Pressure of what people will think about you.
n You might feel overwhelmed by changes such as leaving home, starting a new life, friends moving away or maybe you’re worrying that others are changing whilst you stay the same.
These feelings are normal. Your friends are probably feeling the same way, so talk to them about your worries.
It’s good to prepare yourself with tips to avoid exam results anxiety and know how to deal with disappointment.
Remember, if you fail an exam you are not a failure – you are still a good person, just a good person who failed an exam. Usually exam failure only means you have to repeat, so there”s a delay of plans, which is not the end of the world. Or it may lead to you changing your plans to get to where you want to go by following a different path.These are only the first steps of your career, nothing you do now will prevent you from changing direction at any time in the future. Use your failure as a springboard and bounce back because it is you know your true potential and you don’t have to prove it to anyone.
Finally, it’s important for students to remember that there is lots of help and advice out there and take comfort in knowing that come exam results day you are not alone but one out of millions of students feeling the same way. Above all, remain ambitious and remember that failure, like success, is rarely complete or final. Sometimes success is best measured not by outcomes such as good exam grades but how we react in difficult times and bounce back. -Aniket Raja
Tips to handle the stress:
1) Keep yourself busy. Taking action or doing something will help you overcome anxiety.
2) Your feeling of stress also has a centre, focus your attention on that point. If you feel the tension in your neck, focus your attention on your neck completely. Doing this for a couple of minutes will help reduce the anxiety, if not completely eliminate it.
3) Talk to someone about your anxiety, for example about your not doing well in the exams. You will always get a unique perspective and also the burden would be reduced significantly.
4) Walking, yoga or some other kind of light exercise helps reduce stress.
5) Be grateful of what you already have. Write down five best things that you are glad happened to you. Examination results are not the end of the road.
On the Day of Exam Results
Firstly it’s important to set a positive mind-set towards exam results and any setbacks. In the days running up to results days get lots of sleep so you have a clear mind. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and be realistic. The weight of expectation can be extremely heavy and as the adage goes are ‘resentments waiting to happen’. It’s always good in life to have a Plan B in case things don’t go as you were expecting. Ahead of getting your results compile a list of alternative routes to achieve your goals e.g. embark on a college course as a route into university and jot down an action plan. You will bounce back from disappointment more easily if you have already thought about that possibility.
When you get your result take a deep breath, see the result carefully and don’t panic. Don’t be deflated straight away and look for positive ways forward if things haven’t gone according to plan and consult your Plan B list outlining your options. Acceptance is fundamental to dealing with disappointment, which is merely a short term obstacle. It’s important not to dwell on what could have been as what is done is done and unfortunately you can’t change things. However, you can change your approach next time, learn from mistakes, and don’t let disappointment hold you back but turn the angst into motivation for the future. Moreover, use it as a springboard to re-focus and consider other options out there such as; taking re-sits, embark on a gap year, or go through university Clearing. It’s important to use all available resources and help at hand; speak to your teachers or tutors, it’s their job to help you and they are well placed to advise and help you think about alternative ways forward, and turn to your family and close friends for guidance and reassurance.
Your parents and family only want to see you get what you want and what will make you happy. Don”t for a second worry about letting them down, they”re proud of you no matter what.
It is a time where you will make many tough and exciting choices. Make sure you talk them over with someone. Take help from professional guidance counsellors. Give them a call to talk through your options if you are unsure.
You need to confront the problem and learn how to relax. It’s really important not to let anxiety take over your life. Try to figure out what’s causing the stress and then do something about it.
Diligent Deena
Deena was studying in tenth class. In those days , importance of tenth class or matriculation for a student was not lesser than in our days. Deena was also aware it and was was studying diligently.
Gradually exam dates were coming near. Deena had not only studied thoroughly his course books but also revised the syllabus. He was well prepared for the exams. But just before the first day of examination , Deena got ill.His friends and relatives advised him to take bed rest and postpone writing exam until he did not feel well. But, he knew that time and tide wait for none. He wrote all the papers.
When the result was declared, Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya had secured first class first position not only among the students of his school but all the schools of his State. Everyone was admiring his success.
Morale of the story:Diligence and commitment cannot be overlooked.
-Dr Ved Mitra Shukla
