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The matric exams are, once again, on the horizon, with university students honing in for their finals.
It’s a stressful time for all involved, and while some degree of stress can be motivating, the pressure to achieve can quickly become counterproductive when students begin measuring their worth by their marks.
Time Out chatted to Hilton-based educational psychologist Terry Shuttleworth about the best way to manage the added stress and anxiety.
A realistic timetable…with fewer distractions
It can be tempting to create an ambitious study timetable covering every available hour of the day, but this approach isn’t sustainable, she warns.
“A study timetable needs to be realistic,” says Shuttleworth. “Students sometimes create an impressive schedule that leaves almost no room for meals, rest or ordinary life, and then feel that they have failed when they cannot keep up with it. A shorter list of achievable goals is usually more useful.”
It’s also difficult to concentrate when a phone is constantly buzzing nearby. Shuttleworth recommends dealing with distractions before settling down to study, rather than relying on willpower once the work has started.
“Phones can be placed out of reach, notifications switched off, and study time divided into focused periods with planned breaks,” she says. “Constantly moving between notes, messages, and social media uses more mental energy than students often realise.”
She says the aim is not necessarily to eliminate every distraction for hours at a time, but to create periods in which the student can focus properly before taking a deliberate break.
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Don't just mark an answer wrong – work out why
A disappointing test result can easily become another source of stress, particularly when students see mistakes as evidence that they are not capable. Instead, Shuttleworth recommends treating mistakes as useful information.
“When an answer is wrong, the mistake deserves attention,” she says. “Was the content not understood, was the question misread, or did anxiety interfere? That information helps the student decide what to do differently next time,” she says.
She says that pressure can become particularly intense when students start thinking in terms of what they cannot control. Instead, students should bring their attention back to the things they can influence: their preparation and how they respond to setbacks.
“Pressure is easier to manage when attention returns to what the student can control,” she says. “One disappointing mark is information about a particular performance on a particular day; it is not a final judgement on the student's ability or future.”
When high achievement is another source of anxiety
For some students, the problem is not a lack of motivation but an expectation that anything short of perfection represents failure.
“In my work with students, I often see anxiety increase when anything below a particular mark is treated as failure,” says Shuttleworth. “A student aiming for eight distinctions may be making real progress but be unable to recognise it because the outcome is not perfect. In that situation, the work is often about setting a demanding but realistic goal and helping the student notice progress along the way.”
She notes that students can also find themselves carrying expectations that they believe others have placed on them.
“Sometimes the pressure a student fears is not quite the same as the expectation being placed on them,” Shuttleworth says. “A frank conversation with a parent, teacher, friend, or school counsellor can clear this up and can also make the student feel less alone.”
Look after the basics during exam season
With revision taking priority, basic wellbeing can easily fall away, she warns.
“The basics have a bigger effect than many students realise,” says Shuttleworth. “Sleep, movement, nutritious food, and regular breaks support concentration, memory, and emotional regulation.”
Students may benefit from viewing rest as part of their exam preparation rather than something they need to earn after completing their work.
What to do when anxiety takes over
For students who feel anxiety building before or during studying or an exam, simple techniques can sometimes help settle the body's stress response.
“Slow breathing and grounding exercises can settle the body when anxiety rises,” Shuttleworth explains. “However, persistent panic or difficulty managing daily life needs more than a quick coping strategy. That is the point at which support from a trusted adult or mental-health professional becomes important.”
Exam stress does not necessarily require professional intervention. But when it persists, becomes increasingly severe or starts affecting everyday life, it may be time to seek additional support. Warning signs can include:
- Persistent anxiety, panic attacks or feeling constantly on edge
- Ongoing sadness, hopelessness, irritability or frequent crying
- Significant changes in sleeping or eating habits
- Difficulty concentrating, studying or attending school
- Withdrawing from friends, family or activities the student usually enjoys
- Physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea or a racing heart
- Using alcohol, medication or other substances to cope
- Feeling worthless, trapped or unable to cope
- Thoughts of self-harm, suicide or not wanting to be alive
Where can students turn for help?
She says there’s no single correct starting point for seeking support.
“A student can start with whichever safe adult feels easiest to approach: a parent, teacher, school counsellor, psychologist, doctor, or another trusted person,” says Shuttleworth. “Schools and universities may have counselling or student-wellness services. A GP can assess the student and make a referral, while community clinics, private practitioners, support organisations and crisis helplines offer other routes to care.”
Most importantly, students should not feel that asking for help is an indication that they have failed.
“Students sometimes worry that asking for professional help means they have failed to cope,” Shuttleworth says. “Clinically, it is more useful to see it as an early response to a problem that is affecting daily functioning. The purpose is to understand what is happening and decide, with the student and family, what support is needed.”
Disclaimer: Terry Shuttleworth is an educational psychologist based in Hilton, KZN Midlands, working with adolescents and young adults on emotional regulation, neurodivergence and trauma, using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and somatic approaches. Shuttleworth was consulted by Time Out as an independent expert, and was not commissioned or compensated for comment.
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