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A-Levels make me feel stressed and guilty all the time - help!

I want to start off by saying that I love sixth form and I'm really enjoying doing my A-levels. Obviously I am very grateful for my education and I don't want this to come across as me whining; I am simply asking for advice.

Since starting year 12 a few weeks ago, I have been obsessing over school. I try and aim for 4 hours of revision per night, plus homework, but I keep getting incredibly stressed over school despite trying my best. Every single thought revolves around my A-levels and the prospect of university, and if I think about it for too long I find myself having a panic attack. I get so stressed that my hair is falling out and I get constant headaches and neck aches, I can't relax, I'm jittery all the time, and it's really disrupting my studies. I think I get stressed because I am petrified of failing the year. I also feel overwhelming guilt every second of the day that I'm not studying. This guilt is very hard to deal with, and I can't sleep at night because I feel so guilty that I'm sleeping instead of studying. No matter how much studying I do, I feel as though it's never ever enough, so even when I'm studying I sometimes feel guilty. I have a part time job and it's only 4 hours a week, but those four hours are torture as I feel overwhelmed with guilt because I'm working instead of studying. I never go out on the weekends anymore either, because I simply cannot deal with the guilt of not studying. I turn 18 on Saturday and I'm dreading it because I know I won't be able to enjoy it due to the guilt and stress I'll feel. Nobody else in my year is anywhere near as stressed as me, and it makes me feel so inadequate and stupid. A teacher told me today that I was very good at English and that she's certain I'll get an A*, but now I just feel horrifically stressed because it's added pressure to get top grades, as if I don't put enough pressure on myself already. I'm finding it difficult to cope with all this stress - does anyone have any advice? I have a history of mental health problems (recovered from depression, anorexia, anxiety) and I am in the process of being diagnosed with Aspergers, perhaps this is relevant? Any help would be greatly appreciated, please!

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Reply 1
Original post by vanessa409
I want to start off by saying that I love sixth form and I'm really enjoying doing my A-levels. Obviously I am very grateful for my education and I don't want this to come across as me whining; I am simply asking for advice.

Since starting year 12 a few weeks ago, I have been obsessing over school. I try and aim for 4 hours of revision per night, plus homework, but I keep getting incredibly stressed over school despite trying my best. Every single thought revolves around my A-levels and the prospect of university, and if I think about it for too long I find myself having a panic attack. I get so stressed that my hair is falling out and I get constant headaches and neck aches, I can't relax, I'm jittery all the time, and it's really disrupting my studies. I think I get stressed because I am petrified of failing the year. I also feel overwhelming guilt every second of the day that I'm not studying. This guilt is very hard to deal with, and I can't sleep at night because I feel so guilty that I'm sleeping instead of studying. No matter how much studying I do, I feel as though it's never ever enough, so even when I'm studying I sometimes feel guilty. I have a part time job and it's only 4 hours a week, but those four hours are torture as I feel overwhelmed with guilt because I'm working instead of studying. I never go out on the weekends anymore either, because I simply cannot deal with the guilt of not studying. I turn 18 on Saturday and I'm dreading it because I know I won't be able to enjoy it due to the guilt and stress I'll feel. Nobody else in my year is anywhere near as stressed as me, and it makes me feel so inadequate and stupid. A teacher told me today that I was very good at English and that she's certain I'll get an A*, but now I just feel horrifically stressed because it's added pressure to get top grades, as if I don't put enough pressure on myself already. I'm finding it difficult to cope with all this stress - does anyone have any advice? I have a history of mental health problems (recovered from depression, anorexia, anxiety) and I am in the process of being diagnosed with Aspergers, perhaps this is relevant? Any help would be greatly appreciated, please!

:hugs:

You're doing amazing. You're doing a lot of work and it will show when you get your results. :yep:

If I were you i'd talk to people about it in real life about how stressed you are. Don't bottle it up. :redface: Have you tried some of your anxiety things to relax yourself? Do you have true down time where you forget about it all and relax?
Reply 2
Original post by 8472
:hugs:

You're doing amazing. You're doing a lot of work and it will show when you get your results. :yep:

If I were you i'd talk to people about it in real life about how stressed you are. Don't bottle it up. :redface: Have you tried some of your anxiety things to relax yourself? Do you have true down time where you forget about it all and relax?


Thanks for your kind response, it made me feel a bit better :smile: Who would I talk to? The only person I've ever spoken to about my emotions is my old therapist, I guess I could give him a ring? There's a technique called mindfulness that helps me with anxiety but it's a bit time consuming... I suppose I ought to give it a go. I don't currently have any spare time, when I'm not working I'm eating/showering/sleeping/travelling/walking my dog/reading extra curriculum. I've considered joining a fitness class to have some 'me' time, but I'm worried I'd feel too guilty.
Reply 3
Original post by vanessa409
I want to start off by saying that I love sixth form and I'm really enjoying doing my A-levels. Obviously I am very grateful for my education and I don't want this to come across as me whining; I am simply asking for advice.

Since starting year 12 a few weeks ago, I have been obsessing over school. I try and aim for 4 hours of revision per night, plus homework, but I keep getting incredibly stressed over school despite trying my best. Every single thought revolves around my A-levels and the prospect of university, and if I think about it for too long I find myself having a panic attack. I get so stressed that my hair is falling out and I get constant headaches and neck aches, I can't relax, I'm jittery all the time, and it's really disrupting my studies. I think I get stressed because I am petrified of failing the year. I also feel overwhelming guilt every second of the day that I'm not studying. This guilt is very hard to deal with, and I can't sleep at night because I feel so guilty that I'm sleeping instead of studying. No matter how much studying I do, I feel as though it's never ever enough, so even when I'm studying I sometimes feel guilty. I have a part time job and it's only 4 hours a week, but those four hours are torture as I feel overwhelmed with guilt because I'm working instead of studying. I never go out on the weekends anymore either, because I simply cannot deal with the guilt of not studying. I turn 18 on Saturday and I'm dreading it because I know I won't be able to enjoy it due to the guilt and stress I'll feel. Nobody else in my year is anywhere near as stressed as me, and it makes me feel so inadequate and stupid. A teacher told me today that I was very good at English and that she's certain I'll get an A*, but now I just feel horrifically stressed because it's added pressure to get top grades, as if I don't put enough pressure on myself already. I'm finding it difficult to cope with all this stress - does anyone have any advice? I have a history of mental health problems (recovered from depression, anorexia, anxiety) and I am in the process of being diagnosed with Aspergers, perhaps this is relevant? Any help would be greatly appreciated, please!


You need to learn to relax and try to adapt to academic stress, otherwise you'll find yourself burning out near the exams. This will cost you all your hard work. Learn to study smart, not hard. Also, university is far more demanding, you need to take it easy.

Remember, nothing is more important then your own sanity and health. You've got your whole life ahead of you.

This is a very helpful ted talk on stress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

Please feel free to PM me for more help and advice, if needed. :smile:
Original post by vanessa409
I want to start off by saying that I love sixth form and I'm really enjoying doing my A-levels. Obviously I am very grateful for my education and I don't want this to come across as me whining; I am simply asking for advice.

Since starting year 12 a few weeks ago, I have been obsessing over school. I try and aim for 4 hours of revision per night, plus homework, but I keep getting incredibly stressed over school despite trying my best. Every single thought revolves around my A-levels and the prospect of university, and if I think about it for too long I find myself having a panic attack. I get so stressed that my hair is falling out and I get constant headaches and neck aches, I can't relax, I'm jittery all the time, and it's really disrupting my studies. I think I get stressed because I am petrified of failing the year. I also feel overwhelming guilt every second of the day that I'm not studying. This guilt is very hard to deal with, and I can't sleep at night because I feel so guilty that I'm sleeping instead of studying. No matter how much studying I do, I feel as though it's never ever enough, so even when I'm studying I sometimes feel guilty. I have a part time job and it's only 4 hours a week, but those four hours are torture as I feel overwhelmed with guilt because I'm working instead of studying. I never go out on the weekends anymore either, because I simply cannot deal with the guilt of not studying. I turn 18 on Saturday and I'm dreading it because I know I won't be able to enjoy it due to the guilt and stress I'll feel. Nobody else in my year is anywhere near as stressed as me, and it makes me feel so inadequate and stupid. A teacher told me today that I was very good at English and that she's certain I'll get an A*, but now I just feel horrifically stressed because it's added pressure to get top grades, as if I don't put enough pressure on myself already. I'm finding it difficult to cope with all this stress - does anyone have any advice? I have a history of mental health problems (recovered from depression, anorexia, anxiety) and I am in the process of being diagnosed with Aspergers, perhaps this is relevant? Any help would be greatly appreciated, please!

Hello! Year 12 is pretty stressful I guess, and it's definitely a lot of work but please don't feel that you have to work all the time :tongue: Most likely cause of your anxiety is the constant reference to the 'what if' questions - what if you fail etc etc - don't do that because you know that if you work hard, it will reflect in your grades.
Im doing Maths and Sciences so Im crapping myself, but I always put the idea, that I will make it through, in my head :smile:
4 hours a night? you're overworking yourself. even by A2 standard that is overworking yourself. Don't get me wrong that fear is a fantastic motivator - but no engine is perfect and if you leave something on long enough its going to crash and burn - and that's what will happen to your mental health as this continues.
I think the best thing for you to do is to whittle down those hours. Let's say just for a benchmark:
autumn term 1 hour a night and 2 or 3 on the weekends
spring term 2 hours a night, 3 on the weekends.
summer term 3 hours a night, 3 hours on the weekends.
Even just by doing this you will EASILY exhaust every piece of material, practice and past question available and have easily gone through any curriculum text book you'd care to name. After that its all about the practice, reviewing, relearning and practicing again until you get almost perfect results.
find a hobby to relax with - play an instrument, do some volunteer work, pick up more hours at work, relax / procrastinate play a sport - anything that gets you out of that studying mindset.
hope this helps.
Reply 6
Original post by vanessa409
Thanks for your kind response, it made me feel a bit better :smile: Who would I talk to? The only person I've ever spoken to about my emotions is my old therapist, I guess I could give him a ring? There's a technique called mindfulness that helps me with anxiety but it's a bit time consuming... I suppose I ought to give it a go. I don't currently have any spare time, when I'm not working I'm eating/showering/sleeping/travelling/walking my dog/reading extra curriculum. I've considered joining a fitness class to have some 'me' time, but I'm worried I'd feel too guilty.


I'm here if you want to talk about anything. :smile: I understand what your going through as I was just like you 1 year ago and still am. (Started my second year at college a coupleweeks ago).

Find time. Your mental and physical health is more important. It is all about finding a way to deal with the stress. For me I spend a lot of time on here helping people. It relaxes me a fair bit. :redface:
Do you use your free periods wisely? Or are u like everyone else that chats and eats crap food during it instead of studying


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 8
You are still doing way more better than me :smile: .So keep up the good work?and get that A* :biggrin: in the exams that is.
Simply put, you're way overworking yourself. Doing your homework to the best of your ability and reading ahead for lessons (should take an hour, max) is more than enough until the Easter break. Maybe add a few past papers into the mix for your mocks, maybe, but four hours + homework is far too much for you to be doing. Your mental health comes first, no exception. Take a break, relax, and don't overwork yourself.

If you still feel rubbish, talk to someone in your school. I told my head of year abt anxiety issues I'd developed during gcses and he directed me to a school counselor should I need one. It's likely your school has a similar support system.
Whoa.
Reply 11
Sorry for the late replies guys - it was my birthday weekend so I was very busy!
Reply 12
Original post by Lil08
You need to learn to relax and try to adapt to academic stress, otherwise you'll find yourself burning out near the exams. This will cost you all your hard work. Learn to study smart, not hard. Also, university is far more demanding, you need to take it easy.

Remember, nothing is more important then your own sanity and health. You've got your whole life ahead of you.

This is a very helpful ted talk on stress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

Please feel free to PM me for more help and advice, if needed. :smile:


How do I study smart? I've heard of people talk about studying smart before but I've never been taught how to do it.
Thanks for the link, I found it pretty helpful :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by Angelo12231
Hello! Year 12 is pretty stressful I guess, and it's definitely a lot of work but please don't feel that you have to work all the time :tongue: Most likely cause of your anxiety is the constant reference to the 'what if' questions - what if you fail etc etc - don't do that because you know that if you work hard, it will reflect in your grades.
Im doing Maths and Sciences so Im crapping myself, but I always put the idea, that I will make it through, in my head :smile:


Yeah I keep telling myself that I'm working hard so I will do well, we're told buy the college that with A-levels you get out what you put in, and that made me feel much more at ease. Until I spoke to a friend who got D E E U at AS despite trying her absolute hardest, she told me she'd never cried so hard when she opened her results. Which put me straight back in to panic mode! :s-smilie: :frown:
Reply 14
Original post by tearteto
4 hours a night? you're overworking yourself. even by A2 standard that is overworking yourself. Don't get me wrong that fear is a fantastic motivator - but no engine is perfect and if you leave something on long enough its going to crash and burn - and that's what will happen to your mental health as this continues.
I think the best thing for you to do is to whittle down those hours. Let's say just for a benchmark:
autumn term 1 hour a night and 2 or 3 on the weekends
spring term 2 hours a night, 3 on the weekends.
summer term 3 hours a night, 3 hours on the weekends.
Even just by doing this you will EASILY exhaust every piece of material, practice and past question available and have easily gone through any curriculum text book you'd care to name. After that its all about the practice, reviewing, relearning and practicing again until you get almost perfect results.
find a hobby to relax with - play an instrument, do some volunteer work, pick up more hours at work, relax / procrastinate play a sport - anything that gets you out of that studying mindset.
hope this helps.


4 hours a night is what's recommend by the college though :confused: And my only friend to get AAAA at AS level told me he did 4 hours a night of revision coming up to exams, and he's much smarter than me, so I thought if I did 4 hours a day normally and 5/6 hours coming up to exams I'd be able to get straight As. I do work 4 hours a week, volunteer every week at a bookshop, and attend clubs/sports activities outside of college, but the whole time I'm doing these extra curriculum I feel guilty and stressed that I'm wasting my time when I could be studying :frown:
Original post by vanessa409
Yeah I keep telling myself that I'm working hard so I will do well, we're told buy the college that with A-levels you get out what you put in, and that made me feel much more at ease. Until I spoke to a friend who got D E E U at AS despite trying her absolute hardest, she told me she'd never cried so hard when she opened her results. Which put me straight back in to panic mode! :s-smilie: :frown:


She's lying, unless she's really dumb or doesn't know what hard work is. Anyone who's reasonably intelligent and works "their absolute hardest" will get good grades.
Reply 16
Original post by 8472
I'm here if you want to talk about anything. :smile: I understand what your going through as I was just like you 1 year ago and still am. (Started my second year at college a coupleweeks ago).

Find time. Your mental and physical health is more important. It is all about finding a way to deal with the stress. For me I spend a lot of time on here helping people. It relaxes me a fair bit. :redface:


Thanks, I'm told every day by family/friends that I'm far too stressed etc but I've never really listened until now. Even in the birthday cards I received yesterday everyone wrote me little positive messages telling me to chill out and take it easy haha. I've always found it difficult to relax due to anxiety, but thanks to medication/meditation it's a little easier now, but I do have a habit of abandoning my mental health until it's dire :s-smilie:
Reply 17
Original post by xoflower
Do you use your free periods wisely? Or are u like everyone else that chats and eats crap food during it instead of studying


Posted from TSR Mobile


I started off using my free periods and lunch times to study alone in the library until my friends found me and joined me, and I don't get as much work done with them around now, but I don't know how to politely tell them to go away. Also all my friends go off to uni next year, and I seldom see them out of school, so it is quite nice to hang out with them in school even if it does mean I don't get much work done :frown:
Reply 18
Original post by UdipR1
You are still doing way more better than me :smile: .So keep up the good work?and get that A* :biggrin: in the exams that is.


Thank you, I really hope I manage to get good enough grades to go to uni, and I wish you luck too!
Original post by vanessa409
I started off using my free periods and lunch times to study alone in the library until my friends found me and joined me, and I don't get as much work done with them around now, but I don't know how to politely tell them to go away. Also all my friends go off to uni next year, and I seldom see them out of school, so it is quite nice to hang out with them in school even if it does mean I don't get much work done :frown:


Thats a bad situation... you probably have free periods where your friends have lessons? Use that time to study very hard and complete homework.

Also, when they are with you just don't talk as much maybe.. and look down at your work.

Work is 1000x more important about friends that don't value your study time. Thank goodness my friends are serious and study quietly with me..

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