A Reflection on Pressure in Exams

As we move into term three, I think it is safe to say there is a collective feeling of dread across campus as our exams loom in the ever so distant future. Whether they are first year exams or final exams, it is a stressful time as the pressure to succeed mounts. As a second-year history student this is the first time my exams will count towards my degree and in contrast to last year there is undeniably a noticeable difference in my nerves.

In large part I can attribute most of my nerves to the pressure I place on myself, a quality I know a lot of people are guilty of. As we attend a university of high academic prestige, for most people, academic failure is not something many of us have likely dealt with. But, in all honesty, the thought of failure scares me. I imagine failure as an unmoveable obstacle in the way of what I hope to achieve.

I’ve always been a strong believer that nerves are a sign that you care about something, allowing me to not always see pressure in a negative light

For some of my friends who are in a similar boat to me, the pressure they put on themselves becomes a barrier stopping them from working efficiently. Thinking about exams makes them immediately worried. I think I am lucky to be the kind of person who thrives off pressure, it has always motivated me to work harder. Pressure is no stranger to many us, as we all completed GCSEs and A-Levels, the feeling of nerves should be something we are all used to. I’ve always been a strong believer that nerves are a sign that you care about something, allowing me to not always see pressure in a negative light.

Throughout my school and now in my university years I have been fortunate that I have never had any pressure exerted on me by my parents or anyone else. They have obviously always wanted me to do well, but they saw how much pressure I placed on myself and never saw a need to push me further. I know that they will be satisfied and proud of me as long as I have tried my best and have prepared beforehand.

Putting pressure on someone to the point where they only focus on the negative is a damaging mind-set to have

Looking back to people I went to school with, I knew numerous people whose parents were the opposite of mine when it came to exam season. I remember one girl in my year getting upset on results day as she knew the grade she got on an exam would disappoint her parents, in particular her dad. Seeing this girl, who I was never particularly close to, so worried and upset, made me feel sorry for her as it had tarnished how well she had done on other exams. Putting pressure on someone to the point where they only focus on the negatives is a damaging mind-set to have.

Ultimately, pressure is an individual thing to each and every person. Whilst pressure has nearly always been beneficial to me, I know how damaging it is to other people. I believe it is not the responsibility of other people to put pressure on us, as we are all now old enough to know the consequences of not working hard. Although saying this is easier said than done. As we move into exam season I hope everyone finds a way to deal with the pressure we face and will get through exams with the results they are pleased with.