Exams and the pressure to do well

Aoife

There can be A LOTof pressure from parents, teachers, friends or even ourselves to do well in exams. This pressure, added onto the stress some of us experience with exams, can sometimes get too much.

Check out this new article on The Mix website about exams and the pressures to do well. There's some great advice on how to manage some of this pressure, such as:

If you need to talk to your parents about the pressure they’re putting you under, remember:Choose a time when you are both relaxed and won’t be interrupted. Don’t bring it up in an argument.

• Explain to your parents that the pressure you’re under is making you feel rubbish.
• Give reasons. Perhaps you want to drop a subject but explain that it will give more time to focus on other subjects.
• If you’re not comfortable talking to your parents alone, you can ask a teacher or a school counsellor to help talk to them.

If you find you’re pushing yourself to extremes, remember:

• Working to extremes isn't productive. It has been proven that breaks when revising are necessary for a fully functioning brain. Leave your computer, go outside, watch a film – anything that will distract you for a short while from your work.
• Congratulate yourself. If you’ve done a really great stint of revision or have done well in a mock exam, give yourself a treat.
• Make a plan B. If things don’t go to plan, remember it’s not the end of the world. You can retake your exams or decide on a completely different life plan – it’s all quite exciting really.

How do you manage some of this pressure from parents, teachers, friends or even ourselves to do well in exams? What advice would you give to others?

independent_

I agree with @Aidan, just because you have 18191 As doesn't mean you'll automatically get a decent job and have the career everyone dreams of.