Exam Stress - Our Stories...

Natalie: A Level student.

...when I hear the word 'exam' I can feel a large shiver creeping down my spine, and I feel I am the only one who is going to have to experience these things.

I know deep down that the exams I have just taken are a 'stepping stone' into another stage of my life...

I have a very 'short fuse' and during the exam period I could feel the stress levels rising as each exam drew near. I felt under pressure from other people, it was something I had to control for myself.

I am now awaiting the results; and I have put the results day to the back of my mind as I feel 'what's done is done' and I can't change things. However now and again the word "results" crops into a conversation and I feel cold at the thought.

Mum and Dad are very cool about things, and haven't put me under any pressure. I am not going to university, but am very keen to get a good job, so the results are important to me....they would be more of an achievement than just a grade.
Life is a wonderful thing, and exams, they give you a key to another treasure box in the future.

Leo: A Level student.

27th July. 3 weeks to go to results day. Tick tock. Tick tock.
Worry. Fear. Sound familiar? Certainly this is the stereotypical view of post A-level students.
However, it is unclear to what extent this actually corresponds to reality. Many people, I would imagine, are feeling the pressure - from parents, siblings, even subconscious pressure from universities. Merely requiring 18 points, 2 A's and a B or whatever is clearly going to create some pressure on the student.
It is very different for me though, thankfully I have none of that pressure - I'm doing a GAP year, applying to university this year. I can match the universities I choose to the grades I get, thus basically removing the pressure. So the only real stress that remains comes from a) my job, and b) myself - obviously I want to do well, so I guess I do get a bit anxious at times - if and when I think about THAT day!

Pete: A Level student.

From the frostily cool exterior you would never have guessed how I'm feeling. I tried to keep calm whilst taking my exams and for the most part it worked, as I came out of the exams feeling fine.
But now the torment, 2 months of waiting, I mean how long does it take to mark an exam paper?...

Though I don't know why I'm nervous, I think its the fear of failure, a constant nagging thought that I may not be able to do what I want in a couple of months time.  After all the work of getting uni offers, failure would be.... well unthinkable. Also, I think I'm scared of disappointing my parents, though I know they won't mind how I've done.

All kinds of thoughts run through your mind when you're not doing anything, so I try to keep doing things thus keeping my mind off of results day.

A saying that we devised....REMEMBER, the fear is always there...