Wellbeing

Exam Stress and Wellbeing for Learning

Exams coming up? Sometimes the pressure you feel can help keep you focused, other times it can cause stress. Check out these tips to help you cope with stress during exam time.

What does exam stress look like?

People might experience physical symptoms, like trouble sleeping, feeling sick in the stomach, headaches and muscle tension, and fidgeting, nail-biting and teeth grinding. 

Exam stress can also be mental or emotional, like feeling confused, being irritable, feeling overwhelmed, lacking motivation and withdrawing from family, friends and things you normally enjoy. 

Why do people experience exam stress?

Worry they might fail

Don't feel prepared

Want to do really well

Don’t have much time to study

Need to get a certain result

Don’t think they will do well

What’s your study style?

Did you know that your different ‘thinking style’ can affect how you learn and best study?

MacKillop School TV survey results found that:

• 57% of students think in words (I.e. have an ‘inner voice’ or ‘talk to yourself’ in your thoughts) 
• 43% of students think in sensations (e.g. images in your ‘mind’s eye’, or other sensations like smells, feelings, etc) 

 How can I figure out my thinking style? 

• Close your eyes and imagine your favourite food 
• Remember what you did yesterday 
• Imagine your favourite song 

If you talk to yourself as you think of your favourite food, and what you did yesterday, and think of the lyrics of your favourite song, you’re most likely a word thinker. 

If you see your favourite food and memories and hear the beat of your favourite song, you’re most likely a sensation thinker. (Yes, you can be both!) 

Our Wellbeing Team are always ready to provide additional support to our students and parents if the stress of exams becomes too much.