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How to stay motivated after a bad exam



I thought I’d make this post as I know that a lot of us experience bad exams, whether it is GCSE, A-Level or uni exams, I think everyone can feel disheartened in this situation! ​After I have done an exam that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, these are the things I tend to do: 1. Remind myself of how much effort I have put in and that I have done my BEST- if you start to blame yourself for your performance in the exam, it will knock your self confidence for future exams, you need to have confidence in your own ability! 2. Although it’s easy to do and I’m also guilty of this, try not to keep thinking about the bad questions- I know they’re the ones that stick in your head, but think about all the small markers (usually towards the start of the paper!) that you are confident in!

3. Make an action plan for any upcoming exams, don’t let one bad exam make you lose motivation- I’m not saying to start revising for the next exam straight away (in fact I would say NOT to do this, if you can, take a break and relax for a few hours), but try and think about what you need to do in order to feel more prepared for the next one 4. Remind yourself that exams don’t last forever, sooner or later you will be finished and have time to yourself, although it may feel like all you’re doing is revising and a bad exam is an easy excuse to give up, don’t!! Now is the time to put the work in! ​5. Lastly, don’t beat yourself up! Even the best students have bad exams and it is totally normal to feel disheartened now and again, and although exams are important, they are not EVERYTHING!

There’s almost always an opportunity to resit exams, even if that is not part of your ‘plan’, try to put exams into perspective and be grateful for other things in your life: your health, your family, your friends and the fact that you are able to have an education, as some people aren’t so fortunate x

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