I am currently just about to take my second year exams at university. I am 20, and studying psychology. I find the course interesting, but really hard. I get myself so worked up over exams, that:
I feel physically sick, and often am sick with worry.
I go off food for weeks.
I get several really bad ulcers in my mouth that distract me because of the really bad pain.
I spend so much time crying as I feel so down and depressed.

My mum cannot understand, she says I am pathetic and crying will get me no where. She says I am selfish and that everyone else in the world goes through exams and they do not cause the fuss I do.

No one understands how I feel. I feel I spend weeks an weeks revising I try so hard, all my effort goes into studies, and my results never reflect this at all. So when people say it will be in your brain on the day, they are wrong, my brain is a mass jumble.

Please help?

Have you been keeping up with the coursework and the reading? If you feel ready for exams, do you still stress out over them?

When I was studying psych in grad school, I found it very helpful to make up flash cards and to put them into categories for all the details I had to know. I reviewed them frequently.

I never feel ready for exams. I can sit and make notes for hours and hours, days and days on end... but even when I get to the exam room, my brain is a mush of information that I can never pick what I need out of it, and find myself doing really badly.
I think my brain is washed over, by ill thoughts and worry and stress, but how I can stop that I do not know?

Hi deepdepressed88,

First and Foremost don't be so depressed because most of the times.. we all go through exam stress.. so don't b depressed and as far as Crying goes.. Thts never a solution... Its not Tht you are selfish.. it is just that you are a bit too concerned..

Another Thing.. exams and Results are not the only thing in this life.. Its OK for u 2 feel yr efforts are not paying off.. but that does not mean you are not puttin them in..
Also many a time our efforts don't show... and you taking 2 much stress or having 2 much depression.. tht won't help me..

Believe me.. till my Graduation.. only once I spent a night studying for an exam and I failed in that... and soon realised that stress is never an answer...

Puttin 2much on yrself.. will make things worse.. so don't spend all the time revising.. alongwith do sum stuff that makes you feel good 2... after all life is not all about exams and Results :)... do take good care of yrself.. and live life to the ful.. after all you are 20 yet..

Hello hon :)


You really shoul try making a specific time each day you are studying, to stop. Put the books down. Eat something and take a hot bath. Read a NON school book and enjoy yourself for an hour.


*hugs* you will get through it hon. I have faith in you.

Thanks for the encouragement guys!

Deepdepressed88,

You are your own worst enemy here.. the more your worry the more you stress and the more you stress the more you don't pass your tests.

You HAVE to believe in yourself or you will never accomplish anything!

I suggest you start by treating yourself to something fun and relax, cleanse your mind of all your worries and ill thoughts.

Then after that, think about maybe getting a tudor for the classes that you're really behind in.. Tudors really know how to explain the information clearly.. much clearer than a teacher can sometimes.. and there is nothing wrong with getting a tudor.. it DOESN'T mean you're dumb!

You need to believe that you're smart, heck, you made it to college right? The college that accepted you must find confidence in you.. you need to find that in yourself..

Also, the advice that your mom is giving is not helping you and I suggest you leave her out of your troubles.. she seems to make matters worse.. sorry.. maybe you should confide in someone else that you trust, or maybe even a councelor.. you need to talk out your feelings..

You'll be fine, just breathe and take it one day at a time.