I have been out of school for 8 years now but I can still clearly remember my first day of going to Grade 8.  

The feeling of excitement and fear of a new school all rolled in one.

 

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For me the transition of going to high school was quite easy.  I had a lot of friend that came with me from Primary School, I was active in athletics and netball. so I fit in quickly with the day to day scenarios.

It was only after a while that I started realizing something.  It was difficult to keep a balance between friends, sport and academics.

The academic pressure were so much more in High School, so much more work and projects and less time if you also wanted to attend all the sport and social functions.

Academic pressure is something that a lot of children and young adults have to cope with and if it is not handled correctly, you will feel that you are loosing yourself and maybe give up trying or end up failing.

The pressure can come from parents that are expecting more or the teachers that feel your test scores are not up to standard or you can put a lot of pressure on yourself, because you want to go to college, you want to get a degree, you want to get a good job....

How you can help yourself when having to cope with all this pressure

Look after yourself

                             

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It is very important to take care of yourself.  This means you have to eat healthy, you have to exercise and get enough sleep.  If you deprive your body from these things, your brain will not function at optimal level, you will feel tired and miss out on important information.

Take a step back from the daily hustle and bustle and do something creative or something you enjoy - it can be for an hour or two, just to get your mind of academics and the pressure you put on yourself.

Think differently and positive

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Have you ever experienced that the more you think and stress about something, the less you are in the mood to do it or the bigger an obstacle it seems?

The more you think negatively and tell yourself I am never going to pass, or get the work done on time, the more your brain and you in turn is going to believe it.

Sometimes it is just time to stop overthinking things and just get busy and do what you have to.  The less you think and ponder, the quicker you will start and the faster you will finish.

Find constructive ways in which you can teach yourself to think positively. 

Here are some ways that can help you to become a positive thinker http://www.rncentral.com/nursing-library/careplans/100_positive_thinking_exercises_to_incorporate_into_your_life/

Break your assignments up into smaller parts

               

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If you want to move forward, it just takes one step, then another step and another one and before you know it you have walked a mile.  The same goes for tasks that you need to complete.  You cannot sit and stare at 10 books and think I have to study all of this.  You are not only stressing yourself out but you are skipping steps that your brain needs to follow.  

Break any tasks you have into smaller parts.  Set short term goals when you must be done with each part and before you know it, you are done with the whole book.

Taking one step at a time, or breaking things into smaller parts is not overwhelming and that way you can stay positive and focused.

Be in competition with yourself

                   

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Although a little competition between peers can be a good thing, it can also add a lot of stress trying to keep up with somebody who is always better and faster and scores higher marks.

Your friend will maybe get 80% without putting in a lot of effort, where you study all night and only scores 60%. 

There is nothing wrong with you.  Our brains work in different ways and some are fast and some are slower.

Make sure that you try and better yourself by giving your best every single time and try to get better at something. You are the one that you have to proof something to, not your peers or your parents.

If you feel that you have given you best and there is a specific outcome, accept it and tell yourself that next time I am going to do better because I am ONLY in competition with myself.

Time for the exam balancing act

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Do not try and cram all the work into your brain by sitting at your desk for 3 hours.  Your brain has stopped working and concentrating a long time ago and you are just wasting time, even thought you think But I spend so many hours on it.

Set a timetable on how long you will study and make sure you take short intervals in between, where you can stretch or walk or relax or what ever takes your mind off the work and gives your brain a rest so that it will be ready again to focus during the next session.  

Do not allow that pressure from academics or life take away from what you really have to offer.

Just keep swimming.... you will eventually get there.

           

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