HAPPY 2015!
Although with a new year comes a new exam period and a whole new level of stress, panic and hormones.
When it comes to being under pressure, I'm probably the worst person for coping.
Having found GCSEs incredibly stressful you can imagine how I'm finding A Levels.
I think the worst thing about A Levels is that there is such a short period of time before your exams! I've only just started and we're almost ready to finish.
The main reason behind my stress is that there is so much expected of us as students and not only with our school work. There is application after application of opportunities that we MUST take in order to live past the age of 19.
It's a stressful time for everyone whether they show it or not, but the one thing that I'm forgetting that I really need to remember is:
Stop freaking out.
Despite my inability to cope with pressure of exams and the ever looming shadow of university myself, I will now try my best to advise you on how to deal with it, and maybe even reassure myself in the process.
Top 5 Tips On How To Deal With Pressure
1. Stay organised- this is one characteristic of myself that I will forever be thankful for. Despite my messy room and lack of ability to wear clothes that go, when it comes to school, I am (if I do say so myself) very organised. Keeping all of your work filed and neat has made revision so much easier. This is, I guess, an advantage of A Levels. You only have 9 months worth of work to organise, opposed to 3 years worth during GCSEs when you didn't care in Year 9 then to realise that the flashy light thing you learnt in physics was actually necessary.
2. Concentrate on yourself- there will be people around you doing 100 hours of volunteering and sorting out their work experience 6 months in advance! People going to top universities for residential trips and practically reserving their space. There will be people getting As straight away regardless of the jump from GCSEs to A Levels. The most important thing you need to focus on is knowing what you want to achieve and making sure that you do everything you can to reach that goal.
3. Keep on top of your work- no matter how tired and unmotivated you might feel, use every free moment that you have to make sure that all of your deadlines are going to be met. I have benefited hugely from doing my work as soon as it is set even if I have a 2 week deadline. Doing your work in free periods or as soon as you get in allows you so much more free time to relax (appreciate the relaxation) and then revise when it comes to it. ew.
4. Know that you're not on your own- everyone else is feeling exactly the same at this point whether they show it or not they are. You have two years to work harder than you've ever worked before in order to set yourself up for your future. Everyone's in the same boat. Speak to each other, help each other out. I'm lucky enough to have a very close group of friends that all talk to each other and all support each other when we're down, don't think it's just you that is struggling because it's not.
5. SLEEP- being tired achieves nothing. Staying up all night working or worrying will put you in a terrible frame of mind for the next day. I find it easiest to stop working at around 8pm latest and make sure I relax and take my mind off work. Being exhausted makes everything more difficult to process.
yet again I don't know if any of my rambling will be of any use to anyone!
also, it's OK to be worried and a little stressed out, but there isn't any need to panic! (should keep telling myself this stuff, daym)
'adios!
Hannah xox
