You have spent most of the academic year focusing on the exams, or maybe only a short time in advance, studying, revising and focusing on the actual exam. They are over! A sense of relief washes over you, time to recharge and enjoy the break.
However, you can’t shake a feeling of anxiety, your mind begins to wander, what if you don’t get the results that you want? you begin to second guess your exam and before you know it you are in a downward spiral, catastrophizing about your results.
You are not alone
Breath, take a long slow inhale through the nose, and exhale out through the mouth…… repeat three times. You are not alone in how you are feeling, it can be a very natural reaction. Most of us spend so much time focusing on the exam and preparing for the exam we don’t give any thought or preparation to after the exam. Leaving us feeling a little bit adrift, overwhelmed and anxious. Our thoughts can take hold and spiral out of control. You could be feeling several things:
- Pressure from family to get good results
- Pressure to get the points for the college course you want
- Worrying about what the future holds, what happens after this?
- Fear of the unknown and feeling like your life is on hold until results come out
All these feelings and worries are normal, you are not alone, most of your peers have the exact same worries. It is completely normal to feel nervous about results. If you are feeling butterflies in your stomach, racing heart or anxious thoughts, it’s your bodies response to your fear and nervousness, your nervous system has kicked into gear. It is our fear that can get our fight or flight response started, this is why exam results can increase anxiety, it’s the fear of the unknown.
Know you are not defined by the result, pass or fail. The reality is that most of us will fail an exam or more than one in our lifetime. So, you repeat the exam, it may delay plans slightly, but it is not the end of the world and does not define you.
Manage your anxiety
Really focus on ways to assist yourself staying calm. There are things you can do to better arm yourself on results day. Exercise throughout the day, eat well leading up to it, try to get enough sleep. Maybe arrange for someone you trust to be with you, to support you.
Really focus on your self-care and recharging your inner battery. Prioritizing yourself is key to managing your anxieties. Allow yourself to do what you enjoy, be it painting, reading, walking, gym workouts, meditations, watching Netflix whatever it is. Once it allows you to relax and not focus on your worries.
There are loads of options if you don’t get the course, you want. Waiting on leaving cert results can be tough, you can feel like your whole future hangs in the balance. Your leaving cert does not define you; you have numerous options including appealing grades or doing a PLC course and reapplying.
On results day, try not to put pressure on yourself, the hardest part is already done, you cannot alter the results. Don’t compare your results with others, we are all on our own journey, and it looks different to everyone else’s. There are plenty of pathways available to you, taking a year out, doing a PLC, apprenticeship, speaking with career advisors and tutors, seek advice.
Speak to someone. Turn2me.ie offers free one to one counselling sessions, register today, a lifeline online.