I’m (25M) under a lot of pressure right now (university exams coming up in less than a week) and I’m overwhelmed by a feeling of despair because I keep failing this classes (for years).
I have difficulties getting out of bed and studying. I took a walk to calm down a bit and kinda forced myself to cry to let it all out when I came back to my appart. it felt a bit fake even if it helped a bit. I realised i don’t remember the last time I really ‘felt’ an emotion (joy or sad).
I need to get back to work but it seems impossible to succeed, so I’m a bit depressed. If I fail this classes, the consequences will be really shitty.
I don’t need a solution, I just need some support/advice from a real person, not a top 10 website.
I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I do remember my college years and exams being some of the most stressful times. I always found it interesting that in college exams were the largest part of the course grade, and then in the workplace there was no formal written exams to speak of.
If you have passion for your major or course of study, does it help at all to keep the long-term picture in mind? Perhaps reminding yourself why you choose your area of study and your long-term aspirations can help lift your spirits during these times of stress. Exams will not be a part of your life forever, and maybe not really at all once you graduate from university. Do you have some courses that bring you more enjoyment, so you could maybe break up your studying between the harder and more enjoyable courses to give yourself some variety and keep up your motivation? Do you have an outlet that does give you some positive emotions, which you can look forward to as a reward after studying or exams? Hopefully this goes without saying, but your value as an individual is so much more than a grade on a piece of paper and this stressful period of your life is temporary and not permanent.
Thank you for the advices I’m very conscious of the temporary part of it and that my value isn’t link to these notes, the problem is the fact that I failed these exams quite a number of times and I rationnaly can’t see why it would go better this time. There is also the fact that failing even one of them could get in the way of my master thesis, which I’m already involved in. Anyway, i’m getting back to it.
While it is understandable that past struggles in a subject would cause anyone to doubt their abilities, you have more experience now compared to when you tried the last time. So I would say that the same result as before is not guaranteed. You also have the additional insights of having experienced the exam already and analyzing your personal results, which is something that a student taking the exam for the first time does not have.
I’m very conscious of the temporary part of it and that my value isn’t link to these notes, the problem is the fact that I failed these exams quite a number of times and I rationnaly can’t see why it would go better this time. There is also the fact that failing even one of them could get in the way of my master thesis, which I’m already involved in. Anyway, i’m getting back to it.