Not getting the grade you want can happen sometimes, especially in university when you’re under a tremendous amount of pressure. One way I like to think about looking at my grades before I take an exam is knowing I must get a certain grade to keep up the perfect image of myself. After exams, I know there’s nothing more I can do than to try harder next time. I feel like this thought is running through everyone’s mind right now, but this can be very toxic way of thinking. It’s understandable and acceptable to look at grades and calculate what you need to get on the exam to pass or to make yourself happy. However, setting an unrealistic goal can make the pressure of exams that much harder. I manage this by setting a realistic goal, even if it doesn’t meet my standards of a perfect grade. I do this because it’s okay to not be the best, as trying hardest for yourself is all you can do. Looking at your exam grades can be a relief, but it can also be a big stressor. It can be a relief because you’re over and done with your exams, but the stress of waiting to find out how you did is still there. When this happens, I try and think about how I did my best, and at this point there’s not much more I can do. Instead, I try and find ways to take my mind off the situation.
Activities I like to do to take my mind off the constant worrying about exams are writing and journaling. This is a great activity to take your mind fully off exams because you’re focusing on putting your life on paper. It won’t work if you write about exams, so try and find other things to write about. Even baking is a great way to distract yourself. This can be with friends or by yourself, but physically measuring the ingredients and reading a recipe is sure to have you thinking about something other than exams.
Once you do get your grades back, don’t just focus on the things that went wrong, accept the fact that you did your best and know that you worked hard for yourself, which is a better mindset than reliving the past. Exams being close to Christmas can be a good thing or a bad thing. You get all your exams out of the way so you can enjoy your Christmas. When you get the marks, look at them after Christmas so you don’t ruin the mood. Therefore, I believe it’s all about the mindset and your own determination of thinking you did the best, not ruminating on the past. There are many different strategies to reverse a fixed mindset, but hard work and believing in yourself will always come first.