I am in primary school and I recently took the UK junior Mathematical Challenge Test and I am really worried about my results because a lot of pressure is riding on me to get a certain amount of marks and I'm afraid I won't. I wake up at night, think about the questions in my own spare time and stress over it when someone asks me about it. Please help me. It's driving me crazy
Sam
Hi there,
It can often feel there is a lot of pressure to achieve really high grades when we do exams. It can help to understand where this pressure comes from. Is this coming from you, or other people like your parents or teachers? Perhaps talking to your parents and teachers about the pressure you feel and how you did in the test may help you to explore some of these feelings.
Not doing as well as we would have liked in exams can leave us with a range of emotions. But it can help to think about what you have learnt from this experience. Building confidence and self-esteem can really help us to identify our positives and feel proud of what we have achieved. It can also help us understand what areas we need to improve on.
Its natural for tests to make you feel stressed and anxious but there are ways to cope with these feelings. Talking through your feelings can really help. ChildLine counsellors are here to support you with your feelings and worries whenever you need to talk. You may also find it helpful to take a look at the ChildLine message boards to see what other young people are saying about their experiences of exams and coping with stress. Remember, you dont have to go through these worries alone.
Take care, Sam
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