It's understandable that you're feeling stressed about your exams / assessments. Stress is a normal reaction and can help us perform at our peak. However, it's worth having strategies to help manage feeling stressed.
see here for more information on stress: I am feeling stressed. What might help?
Here are our top tips for managing exam (and other) stress:
- Keep it in perspective – it’s good to acknowledge feeling nervous about exams, and equally important to remember that your exam results can never define you as a person, and whatever happens, you can be successful.
- Get organised – focus on things you can control: work out where and when your exams are, schedule time to unwind, plan your meals in advance. If you get off schedule, never mind! Tomorrow is another day.
- Practice good habits – these will help you concentrate: take breaks, drink water, eat nutritious meals, keep active, get 8 hours of sleep, relax!
- Avoid unhelpful habits – don’t set unrealistic goals, don’t cut all the fun out of your life, and don’t increase your caffeine, alcohol and drug consumption. For more on this, check out how NOT to Cope with Exam Stress.
- Get support – from friends, family, course team, LSBU support teams or Togetherall. For more, check out this FAQ: Where can I find resources to help me manage my wellbeing?
Academic support
We recommend that you talk to your Personal Tutor if you are having difficulties with your studies. Who is my Personal Tutor, and how do I contact them?
If you miss or fail assessments, or your performance has been significantly affected by a personal circumstance beyond your control, you can apply for Extenuating Circumstances. See these FAQs for more info:
Wellbeing and Disability Support
You can also chat with one of our friendly Mental health and Wellbeing advisors to discuss further support. For more information, please see How do I book an appointment with the Mental Health and Wellbeing team?
If you have, or suspect that you have, a specific learning difference (like Dyslexia) that is making your work and your assessments challenging please speak to a Disability Advisor. You may be able to have reasonable adjustments made in-class, and to your assessments, that would remove barriers to your learning. For further details, see the FAQ How can the Disability & Dyslexia Support (DDS) team help?
If you are currently having thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, please know you are not alone and support is available. This FAQ has more info: I have had thoughts of suicide. How can I get help?
For more information, please see these FAQ's:
Where can I find resources to help me manage my wellbeing?
I am feeling anxious. What might help?
I am feeling stressed. What might help?
