5 Ways to Cope with Result Day Anxiety as a Student






Result day can be absolutely nerve-racking, especially if you’re still studying or you’re about to graduate. Although you can try to prepare yourself for the results, there’s no denying the extreme tension that comes with waiting for the grades you worked so hard to achieve to show up in your email inbox.

 In order to cope with your result day anxiety, use these five effective strategies to help make this moment less stressful and more empowering than it otherwise might be.



1) Don’t Panic - Breathe

When I was in high school, exam result days were my worst nightmare. I was terrified of waiting for weeks for results, only to find out that I had failed the exams and didn't get into the course that I wanted. Even worse than not getting into a course at all is when you're told on result day that you didn't get the grade required to pass. 

The year before, I'd taken a state mandated math course that counted towards my required credit hours - but didn't really know how math worked - and it turned out that even though I got 100% in each test, I still failed because my grades couldn't meet the minimal cut off point set by the exam board.


2) Recognize Your Emotions

You're feeling this way for a reason. It's normal to be anxious about whether you've succeeded in what was supposed to be your last hurrah before adulthood and it's understandable that you would feel disappointed in yourself if you didn't perform well. 

Take some time for self-reflection: why do you think the results got on your nerves? What other expectations did you have of yourself? Explore those ideas, get them out of your head, and try not to worry so much.


3) Put Things in Perspective

The only difference between you and the person sitting in front of you is that you did better on the tests. Other than that, you've been in their shoes. And at one point or another, they were probably thinking about how they were going to deal with the result day anxiety too.

 The thing is that some people just don't want to admit it, but we all feel these anxious feelings when things are uncertain for us. The same goes for result day. These days are hard and we're dealing with all kinds of emotions--both positive and negative ones. The important thing though is not to let these emotions cloud your future.


4) Have a Plan B (and stick to it!)

Some people find that the stress of results day can be so much that it starts to affect their health. One way you can cope with the anxiety is by ensuring you have plans for your life beyond education: You should start thinking about other career paths or courses now if possible. It's worth spending time researching what else there is out there and get used to that idea before you need it. 

It could help hugely in lessening any worries about not finding work after completing studies. If you don't want, or can't, pursue anything outside of education, then make sure that you have something planned just in case things don't go your way.


5) Get Busy!

While you might be tempted to wait until after your results day, it’s best not to put off any important plans just in case. Start with this list of ideas if you need help coping: 

1. Recognize that one test is only a small part of your life. Keep your grades in perspective and know that there will always be tests—no matter how good or bad you do on one test or even during the course of the semester. 

2. Distract yourself by turning to the thing(s) you love doing most or look forward to doing the most in life. Remember that good things will come from getting through today.