loopyloulaura

To the girl crying in the exam,

Don’t: it isn’t worth it.

It is an exam. It doesn’t judge what kind of person you are or how special your life is.

The question may seem daunting but remember, everyone starts at 0. You can only gain marks, not lose them.

Write about what you know. Use the skills you have been taught. Impress the reader with YOUR voice even if you don’t fully answer the question.

Exams are meant to make us nervous. Everyone feels the same. You are putting more pressure on yourself than anyone else will ascribe to you.

Be your best, not the best.

I am a mum, I was willing you to succeed in the same way as I would my own children. To dust yourself down and carry on.

I was so proud of you walking back into that room, facing your demons as much as you were facing the exam. That told me more about you than any exam grade ever will.

So what should you do if the questions don’t fall your way?

Work to your strengths. Shuffle your answer to incorporate the things you DO know.

My uncle answered a completely different topic to that which he had studied and passed. A man in my uni class loved medieval England and turned any topic round to that (even when we studied Nazism!)

Exams offer the chance to demonstrate skills which are just as important as the knowledge associated with the subject area.

So, don’t give up. Try, just give it a bloody good try!

Success doesn’t mean academic achievement. It means being proud of the person you see in the mirror. It means being someone that others trust and love.

The tears, the worry will soon be gone. You are so much more and so much better than these exams are ever capable of showing.

Best wishes from the invigilator