Content Warning: This article contains mention of suicide.
The coming exam season is a source of dread here at UMD and for many college students across the country. When the difference between passing and failing that course lies in the outcome of your final exam, it can be difficult not to let your negative thoughts get the better of you. But when does stress and fear of failure go from motivating, even healthy, to dangerous? It’s a slippery slope.
A confidential inquiry by the University of Manchester analyzed evidence heard at the suicide inquests of over 100 individuals under 20 years old. It found that 43 percent of suicide victims from January 2014 to April 2015 were experiencing academic pressure before their death. 29 percent were facing exams or exam results, and four died on or around an exam day. With all this in mind, it is easy to see why suicide is a leading cause of death among college students, second only to accidental injuries.
While it is important to note that these suicides are not generally caused by academic pressures alone, they can often be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Dr. David Jobes is a Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. He told Her Campus Maryland that “a struggle for who am I gonna be, what am I gonna do, what’s my major, how am I gonna support myself and my family… tend to be the drivers of suicidal college students.”
Even if you have never experienced suicidal thoughts, putting your mental health on the backburner in favor of academic performance only allows issues to fester. So, without further ado, here are some tips to help you care for yourself during exam season.
1. Don’t Catastrophize
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How many times have you thought to yourself, “If I fail this exam, I’ll fail the entire course.” How often does that thought spiral into, “If I fail this course, I’ll never get my dream job.” This phenomenon is known by experts as catastrophizing. Entertaining these irrational ideas will not benefit you in any way, shape, or form. The key word here is irrational. It is very unlikely that the outcome of any one exam will follow you for your entire life. The goal is to keep things in perspective. Instead of dwelling on everything that could go wrong, try thinking about some things that could go right. You could ace the test. You could find out that you aren’t well suited for a particular career, and embark on your journey to discovering your ideal path in life. Or, even if you do end up with a D-minus, you could retake the course next semester and pass with flying colors. The possibilities are endless.
2. Physical health affects the mind, too.
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Contrary to popular belief, depriving yourself of sleep for a few extra hours of studying or using stimulants to achieve laser focus is not likely to improve your performance. In fact, the opposite is true. Pulling an all-nighter before your exam could make you more prone to mistakes and less able to recall information. Excessive consumption of caffeine is linked to heightened anxiety. And if the many dangers of prescription stimulant misuse are not enough to deter you from popping an Adderall before you head into the lecture hall, maybe this fact will: the placebo effect is responsible for most of the cognitive improvement observed in healthy people who take these drugs.
“Drugs and insomnia that contribute to dysregulated states are a real big focus of our research these days because people aren’t thinking effectively or problem-solving when they’re upset,” said Dr. Jobes.
Instead, get a full eight hours and pour yourself one –and only one– cup of coffee the morning of your big test. Your body, brain, and GPA will thank you.
3. Your well-being comes before your grades.
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If after a long period of studying you begin to feel hopeless, anxious, or frustrated, allow yourself to take a break. And no, this does not mean scrolling through TikTok for half an hour. Instead, try some deep breathing exercises. Go for a run. Visit the therapy dogs at Wags for Wellness. They’ll be here on Thursday, Dec. 12 from 11 AM to 1 PM at the University Health Center.
“The big thing that we think about in the neuroscience of suicidal behavior is that when people get really upset and anxious and dysregulated… the prefrontal cortex that is really critical in perspective and decision making basically shuts off, and that’s really not good,” said Dr. Jobes.
Coping methods like the ones above can help you reset and return to your mountain of research papers, flashcards, and review sheets feeling capable and refreshed.
4. Remember why you’re here.
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In case you needed a reminder, you did not get into the University of Maryland — or any university for that matter- by being unintellegent or incompetent. You got here by being an exceptional student, and no exam grade can render that fact untrue. Failing an exam does not make you a failure, and being disappointed in yourself does not make you a disappointment. When in doubt, call your best friend or your mom (or your mom who is also your best friend) for some words of encouragement.
5. Don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.
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The University of Maryland offers many resources to students struggling with stress and other mental health issues. The Help Center provides no-appointment-necessary peer counseling, the University Health Center accepts walk-ins for acute assessment of urgent concerns, and you can request to be seen at the Counseling Center for an emergency visit. However, these services are only available during limited hours, so you may find a crisis hotline useful. Some phone numbers to call are provided at the end of this article.
Suicides on college campuses are an ongoing issue. While experts have not been able to pinpoint exactly why, completion rates in young adults have been steadily climbing since the 1950s.
Dr. Jobes reported hearing “concerns across the nation that this Fall in particular, counseling centers have had more emergency walk-ins and more hospitalizations.”
“There seems to be something in the cohort,” he said. This, along with a rise in young women, specifically, dying by suicide, deserves our attention. If you or someone you know is struggling, please consider utilizing some of the following resources: