# Help needed



## 5n0w (Mar 20, 2010)

Hello everyone,

It is taking me a great deal of my little strength left to write this.
Last year, i have been through a series of examinations for undergraduate courses.Unfortunately,due to lack of proper preparation and ill health,i have failed every exam.This year,i am fully prepared and i am taking the same set of examinations.
I have managed to top almost every mock-test i have been taking for the entire year.
However,my performance in the first and most important exam has been poor,much poorer than last time.The failure has shattered my confidence badly and i am now under lots of pressure to perform well in at least next exam.
I am not able to concentrate due to the fear that i might fail all other exams too.
Any tips on how to get over it and stay calm and confident for the next test?


----------



## GBer8721 (Jan 18, 2010)

You need to really ask yourself if you know this stuff. If all your practice test say you do, you do. Go at it ready to rip this thing to peaces. 
Stay calm. Getting worked up doesn't help 
Study then sleep. It been proven that sleep helps you remember information. Also lack sleep puts you on edge 
Eat well. Being hungry will only make things worse 
Study, don't cram. Blindly re-reading stuff doesn't help. Try to start with what your weakest on then work back to what you know better. 
Just chill. If it feels like things are getting to hard, stop for a min. Better to go about this deliberately then rush around. 
Move on. We will never be perfect, and once or twice we all will mess up. Just because you did not do well on one does not mean you will fail again. “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” 
NEVER tell yourself you can't. Tell yourself things may not be easy, but you can always try harder. *"*Whether You Think You Can or Can't, You're Right"--Henry Ford 
It sounds like your first run was made harder because of things you could not control. So come back this time and pass this test. Good luck


----------



## Slider (Nov 17, 2009)

Hey, it's not the end of the world. RELAX! Just do your best...haha, I mean, that's all you can ask for. 

I'm sorry for laughing, but you really need to calm down.


----------



## saynomore (Feb 27, 2010)

Health issues can be your undoing in school, I know. It's hard to focus on anything else, let alone keep information in your mind. You're at quite a disadvantage, but don't let it get you down. If you are determined to take the tests, than think outside of society and the rat race. You're a body (albeit with a little wear and tear) in a room writing down facts that are in your brain. Shattered confidence can build character, let it. It isn't a smooth ride, just accept that and you'll be in your element and at your best.

If existentialism is not your thing than give a listen to "Lucky Ol' Sun" a couple of times until it sinks in.


----------



## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

I feel your pain. A good way to get out of feeling alone with the stress is to just ask a teacher for help. Say you're struggling and nee advice on how to improve.


----------



## kept81213 (Dec 7, 2009)

Last year I got a D in a really important class. The whole semester was hell to begin with and then I started failing one test after another. I got sick, a friend of mine died etc. I got into this depression hole and it was very tricky to get out of. Exams are difficult. First, make sure to go and talk to the teacher, after all, that's what they're there for, or see if you can get a tutor. Also, dont wait until the last minute to start studying. Make study guides for yourself by going over all your notes and class topics. Once you make a study guide you can go through and highlight the really important things. After that I usually go over it again and underline the things I haven't quite remembered yet. 

Its a pain in the ass to spend an entire weekend rewriting ALL your notes and studying, but I have to say that its totally worth it. I myself am pre-med so I take crazy difficult class like metabolic biochem and this form of studying has saved my life. 

So put those old tests out of your mind, after all, there's nothing you can do about it anymore right? Then just keep telling yourself that you can do this! And that you will study for many many hours and then you will know that shit!! Telling myself that I can do well is really what makes me feel better. You just need to move on from that and believe that you are fully capable of doing really well. Once you actually do well then you will just get better and better. I haven't gotten anything lower than a B- in my science classes especially since I started doing this. Its really all about giving yourself the time to work hard and the confidence.

Also, going and working out sometimes helps me too. Adrenaline is really amazing for your brain function and the work out can give you a good break from the stress. Plus adrenaline will make you have more energy and confidence too.


----------



## susurration (Oct 22, 2009)

5n0w said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> It is taking me a great deal of my little strength left to write this.
> Last year, i have been through a series of examinations for undergraduate courses.Unfortunately,due to lack of proper preparation and ill health,i have failed every exam.This year,i am fully prepared and i am taking the same set of examinations.
> ...


Hey, 5n0w, I'm really sorry to hear what you've been through. I know what it's like to have to do exams through illness, and I hold my head up with dignity, because even attempting the exam is a major feat that you should be proud of. You've gone back and attempted the exams again and are thinking of how to best approach the next one, which shows me persistence and drive. That is very commendable.

Studies have shown that a really good way to learn is to test yourself. Can I ask what your study regime is like? how you approach study may be affecting your performance in the exam. That's not to say what you are doing now is ineffective, but there are very time efficient ways of studying, like testing yourself (especially when done in exam conditions) which have been proven to result in long term learning, and ease anxiety during exams. I use this technique, and personally, it is the best approach I have ever come across.

Keeping a positive attitude can dramatically affect how you perform in exams too. Is there a way you can induce a happy mood in yourself before attending the exam? Take your focus off last year and the potential result of failing, and onto this years papers and how you can out do yourself this time. Visualise yourself getting through the exam calmly. Pretend you've done it 100 times before. Trust yourself. 

Do you think exam anxiety is the main problem you have? I encourage you to google 'exam anxiety' and find some de-stress exercises or meditation exercises to help you. The sooner and more regularly you use the techniques, the more effective they will be for your upcoming exams and future studies.

Also getting adequate sleep and nutrition leading up to, and during the exam is vital. If I don't eat adequate amounts of protein and carbs when I'm learning, I get very forgetful and my brain can't function properly. Get plenty of air, and perhaps go for a walk/run before your exam to get rid of nervous energy. 

Good luck, I'm sure you will do well.


----------



## MNiS (Jan 30, 2010)

5n0w said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> It is taking me a great deal of my little strength left to write this.
> Last year, i have been through a series of examinations for undergraduate courses.Unfortunately,due to lack of proper preparation and ill health,i have failed every exam.This year,i am fully prepared and i am taking the same set of examinations.
> ...


I'm sorry to hear about your set back. A setback in your confidence can be a dramatic drain on your self-image and in my personal experience can be the cause of depression. I think it's helpful to maybe take a quarter/semester off from school to re-center yourself and find out your priorities again. Have you considered talking to a school councilor? They moreso than anyone on this forum would be in a position to help you deal with your life crisis.

I think a huge part of maturing is how well you handle setbacks. So this isn't the end of the world, it's an opportunity to grow as a person.


----------



## 5n0w (Mar 20, 2010)

Thank you everyone for the advice.I have tried my best to follow them.My performance hasn't been extraordinary,but satisfactory.I am better prepared now for the next exam.

Thank you again


----------



## susurration (Oct 22, 2009)

5n0w said:


> Thank you everyone for the advice.I have tried my best to follow them.My performance hasn't been extraordinary,but satisfactory.I am better prepared now for the next exam.
> 
> Thank you again


Great to hear. Keep your chin up, and your perspective wide :happy:


----------

