Hi there
Thank you for your message - no problem is too big or too small to talk about. It’s really good that you decided to write in to talk about what is on your mind at the moment.
You have said that, although you revised a lot for your Spanish oral exam, you feel that you didn’t do very well in it. You say that this made you very frustrated which is understandable as you put a lot of work into revising for the exam. It can be very disappointing not to get the result you wanted, especially after you have tried so hard.
While it is disappointing not to do as well as you would have liked, it is important to remember that you still have options and you can get help with any decisions you have to make. It might be an idea for you to talk to your Spanish teacher about the exam and how you feel about it. You could explain that you revised hard but found it quite difficult. Maybe your teacher can give you some tips or advice that could help you to prepare better next time.
It seems like you are quite worried about telling your parents as you think they will be really cross with you. I imagine this is quite a stressful situation for you to be in, especially as you did your best and revised hard. It sounds like your parents were expecting you to do well and this has put a lot of pressure on you.
You might find it helps to prepare what to say to your parents before you talk to them. You could show them all the work you did for revision and explain to them that you felt under a lot of pressure to do well, and this didn’t help. If you feel confident enough you could let them know that how their attitude towards your performance in exams is affecting you. Some parents aren’t aware of the pressure young people feel around exam time.
Exam time can be a very stressful period, and it is quite normal to feel anxious around this time. Pressure from yourself, your parents or your teachers can leave you feeling overwhelmed with everything you are expected to do. For that reason it is good to talk about how you feel with others.
I would encourage you to have a look at the ChildLine message boards. There are lots of other young people who are also feeling very stressed with exams at the moment and you might find it helps to read some of the posts on the message boards.
Remember that it is good to talk whenever you have a problem of any kind. ChildLine counsellors are there to listen to you and you can contact them by phoning 0800 1111, through 1-2-1 chat online or by email.
I hope this helps
Sam