Exam stress is when you feel stress because you feel under pressure about exams. It can happen more at certain times of the year but knowing that exams are coming up can cause feelings of stress at any time.
It might be that you feel there is a lot of expectation from your family, your teachers, peers, or even from yourself.
A lot of importance is put on exams like GCSEs and A Levels, as they are seen as having a big part in defining your future. The stress caused by this can make it hard to sleep or concentrate on work. It can even cause feelings of physical illness.
Some students suffer so much with stress that they would rather run away than face taking their exams. If you feel able to attend your exam, you are giving yourself an opportunity to succeed. There are other deal with exam stress than running away. You can reach out for support in many ways. You can talk to someone about it and seeking medical help if the stress has caused anxiety or depression. Although a lot of importance is put on exams, your mental health and emotional wellbeing is also important.
If you feel like you’re under so much pressure from your exams you have no alternative other than to run away, remember you can call Runaway Helpline before you run away, or if you’ve already left home.
The Runaway Helpline can only provide services to children and young people within the United Kingdom, and information and advice on this site relates to the UK only.
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