How to stop panicking and stuffing up exams? (1 Viewer)

[sweetalmond]

I've pretty much done all my trial exams now and it's been an absolute nightmare. I had maths recently which was weighted at about 40% and I think I failed it because I got so flustered after not being able to do so many questions and skipping it, even simple questions or "less difficult" questions I was unable to do and began filling with self-doubt.
all I can say is I really don't want to get that exam back and I just feel so disappointed because I studied the most for maths but I just couldn't think clearly or logically in exam conditions, like my mind felt all foggy and I really don't even know what was happening.

Just feeling pretty depressed, but my more worrying thought is that for almost every single exam I've done so far I felt panicky and even subjects where I've been doing quite well over the year, I feel like I couldn't think clearly or calmly. I really need to fix this for the HSC exams but I'm not sure how. Because the trial exams were so difficult, and everyone who posts on this forum about stuffing up midcourse is told to work really hard and ace trials but I pretty much stuffed it, I know my ranking for first place in one subject has definitely dropped because I began panicking and having mind blanks for the 25 mark question. I also kept hesitating over simple questions afraid I would stuff it up. anyway, I'm trying to get past this as I have one more trial exam...

I know the key is to not feel stressed, but for the maths exam I didn't even feel that stressed, because I thought I was prepared but in the exam, I just couldn't think logically, and I feel I could have thought through the question and solved it if I wasn't so flustered already, and could have calmly solved it but my mind was utterly blank and refused to work! Only questions that I had practiced before I felt I could do, but questions that required problem solving just lost me.
I'm just reeling from my maths mark and wallowing in my own self-disappointment not to mention my parents will totally flip when I show them whatever abysmal mark I get (they already have before) you see they really care about maths and they even invested in a tutor recently to help me out.

any advice on staying focused, getting rid of mind blanks. I suppose the key is to do heaps of practice papers but for other subjects, like English they're hard to come by.

 

[aanthnnyyy]

I've pretty much done all my trial exams now and it's been an absolute nightmare. I had maths recently which was weighted at about 40% and I think I failed it because I got so flustered after not being able to do so many questions and skipping it, even simple questions or "less difficult" questions I was unable to do and began filling with self-doubt.
all I can say is I really don't want to get that exam back and I just feel so disappointed because I studied the most for maths but I just couldn't think clearly or logically in exam conditions, like my mind felt all foggy and I really don't even know what was happening.

Just feeling pretty depressed, but my more worrying thought is that for almost every single exam I've done so far I felt panicky and even subjects where I've been doing quite well over the year, I feel like I couldn't think clearly or calmly. I really need to fix this for the HSC exams but I'm not sure how. Because the trial exams were so difficult, and everyone who posts on this forum about stuffing up midcourse is told to work really hard and ace trials but I pretty much stuffed it, I know my ranking for first place in one subject has definitely dropped because I began panicking and having mind blanks for the 25 mark question. I also kept hesitating over simple questions afraid I would stuff it up. anyway, I'm trying to get past this as I have one more trial exam...

I know the key is to not feel stressed, but for the maths exam I didn't even feel that stressed, because I thought I was prepared but in the exam, I just couldn't think logically, and I feel I could have thought through the question and solved it if I wasn't so flustered already, and could have calmly solved it but my mind was utterly blank and refused to work! Only questions that I had practiced before I felt I could do, but questions that required problem solving just lost me.
I'm just reeling from my maths mark and wallowing in my own self-disappointment not to mention my parents will totally flip when I show them whatever abysmal mark I get (they already have before) you see they really care about maths and they even invested in a tutor recently to help me out.

any advice on staying focused, getting rid of mind blanks. I suppose the key is to do heaps of practice papers but for other subjects, like English they're hard to come by.

Are you eating healthy and getting good sleep because as I've realised these factors greatly effect how your brain feels. In terms of not panicking I guess you just need to find a way to relax perhaps? If it makes you feel any better for my maths trial on Tuesday I did the stupidest mistake by answering the first basic question to 3 decimals instead of 3s.f. Lol..

 

[Chris_S]

Well for me I am like you I am confident but at the exam I am a stress head! I am not sure if it is applicable to any of you but I get pretty anxious before the exam when I am outside the hall and everyone is talking about their study, the content and what is going to be in the test! This just makes me nervous as anything as I feel like oh I don't know that or not confident with that etc. Therefore, I stay away and tend to go to Macca's instead and prepare myself away from all of the stress! But if you want to calm down and don't be anxious just remember that they are just tests and there are many ways to achieve your common goal e.g. enter university. Good luck for the rest of the year everyone and try to enjoy is you can lol

 

[nerdasdasd]

I've pretty much done all my trial exams now and it's been an absolute nightmare. I had maths recently which was weighted at about 40% and I think I failed it because I got so flustered after not being able to do so many questions and skipping it, even simple questions or "less difficult" questions I was unable to do and began filling with self-doubt.
all I can say is I really don't want to get that exam back and I just feel so disappointed because I studied the most for maths but I just couldn't think clearly or logically in exam conditions, like my mind felt all foggy and I really don't even know what was happening.

Just feeling pretty depressed, but my more worrying thought is that for almost every single exam I've done so far I felt panicky and even subjects where I've been doing quite well over the year, I feel like I couldn't think clearly or calmly. I really need to fix this for the HSC exams but I'm not sure how. Because the trial exams were so difficult, and everyone who posts on this forum about stuffing up midcourse is told to work really hard and ace trials but I pretty much stuffed it, I know my ranking for first place in one subject has definitely dropped because I began panicking and having mind blanks for the 25 mark question. I also kept hesitating over simple questions afraid I would stuff it up. anyway, I'm trying to get past this as I have one more trial exam...

I know the key is to not feel stressed, but for the maths exam I didn't even feel that stressed, because I thought I was prepared but in the exam, I just couldn't think logically, and I feel I could have thought through the question and solved it if I wasn't so flustered already, and could have calmly solved it but my mind was utterly blank and refused to work! Only questions that I had practiced before I felt I could do, but questions that required problem solving just lost me.
I'm just reeling from my maths mark and wallowing in my own self-disappointment not to mention my parents will totally flip when I show them whatever abysmal mark I get (they already have before) you see they really care about maths and they even invested in a tutor recently to help me out.

any advice on staying focused, getting rid of mind blanks. I suppose the key is to do heaps of practice papers but for other subjects, like English they're hard to come by.

Mid exam

Close your eyes .... And take a deep breath and then release it slowly
Repeat that 5x

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to prevent yourself getting too flustered

 

[Sien]

Mid exam

Close your eyes .... And take a deep breath and then release it slowly
Repeat that 5x

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to prevent yourself getting too flustered

^can confirm
For me I freak out really easily so I do that breathing exercise every 20 min or so

 

[Queenroot]

tbh just go to the doctor and get a relaxant

 

[Queenroot]

What are you talking about, are you serious?

What

 

[Queenroot]

What part of that was confusing to you? I'll explain in simple terms for you.

What part was confusing to you? What do you mean 'are you serious'?

 

[Queenroot]

I couldn't tell if you were joking or not and asked you to elaborate. But don't worry you obviously don't want to.

I'm not joking, no need to be passive aggressive.