I can't cope at the moment.....

I have never been so stressed before. There aren't enough hours in the day and I am really struggling to keep on top of things. I have my Cambridge interview in just over a week, I have four mock exams within the next fortnight, I have coursework due in soon and I have a whole bunch of family committments too. Over the past week I have been so stressed that I have gotten to the point where I am physically and mentally exhausted. I just feel like giving up on everything. I can't "fix" this problem. It doesn't help that I have also had a throat infection and a bad cold.

I'm not sure I can live with all this pressure. Something's got to give. :frown:

Reply 1

hannah_dru

2

Yep I also feel like this. I have a really important Drama exam this week which needs sorting and one member of our grup won't turn up for rehearsals. I have coursework, and homework to do, and a long distance boyfriend to see.

I find it really hard to get out of bed. I felt really dizzy and faint a few hours ago.

Reply 2

--

3

Take a deep breath and try to work out what the things adding pressure are and how you can manage them. I would guess that the most important thing is your Cambridge interview (mines on Tuesday so i understand where you're coming from!), other than that your family should be able to understand that this is a pretty stressful time and that maybe you should be allowed out of your commitments and talk to your teachers about your coursework - surely it doesn't need to be actually in till March-ish so i'm sure they can push it back till after your interview. If any of that isn't possible, simply take everything a day at a time, schedule time for certain tasks each day and make sure you give yourself a break at some point. But most of all, keep telling yourself that it will all be over soon and whatever the outcome is, it was more than worth the effort. :smile:

Reply 3

beach surf babe

14

If you think your going to be late with deadlines-let your teachers know before its due in. Tell them you've got a lot on and would appreciate an extension-they react better to that than being told on the day its due. #

You might have to give up something (social life/family commitments etc) to keep up with the work but once the coursework is out the way it is slightly better (for a while). Also make time to get out and do something other than school work otherwise you'll just burn out. :smile:

Reply 4

white_haired_wizard

16

Anonymous

I have never been so stressed before. There aren't enough hours in the day and I am really struggling to keep on top of things. I have my Cambridge interview in just over a week, I have four mock exams within the next fortnight, I have coursework due in soon and I have a whole bunch of family committments too. Over the past week I have been so stressed that I have gotten to the point where I am physically and mentally exhausted. I just feel like giving up on everything. I can't "fix" this problem. It doesn't help that I have also had a throat infection and a bad cold.

I'm not sure I can live with all this pressure. Something's got to give. :frown:

Well, having an illness can cloud perspectives, i.e i took a skin drug called Roaccutane and it did this big time for me. So, get better first, get yourself to your normal healthy self (take medication if needs be, stay in bed for some rest and recuperation), then if you have to make some sacrifices to be it. Prioritize, if that means you have to miss that fishing trip with your father, so be it etc. Having said this, you need a healthy balance, healthy body and mind, so if you`re not doing much exercise, maybe do some so as to lift the spirits and release good chemicals....

maybe also have a soak in the bath, throw in some radox, and get some perspective of things. yes, you have your own relative problems (and you`re entitled to having them of course) but there are worse things happening in the world. So maybe get more of a perspective, this may relax you more and put you at ease?? and hopefully not complacency!

good luck amigo.

Reply 5

tldevil

1

work for your interview, im guessing that is the priority at the moment. and dont worry too much about the mock exams, they are just mocks anyway! make sure you get enough sleep and just think if you hang on for a little while longer it will all be over :smile:

Reply 6

mypaperheart

16

I've had a really tough week too. It seems everything is piling up and I'm getting upset way more easily than I normally do. Try and pinpoint something in the near future that you're looking forward to - that way you'll have some sort of target to aim for.

Firstly, you need to make a list of priorities.

I'd say primarily you need to get over your illness so that you're fit and ready for your Cambridge interview. Make sure you're getting plenty of sleep, water and vitamin C.

Use the journey time to Cambridge (I don't know how far away you live) to do a quick bit of revision for your mock exams, one subject at a time, to cover the topics you're struggling the most with.

Use the family commitments as your relaxation moments - to just forget about coursework and exams. Try and enjoy some time off, and your family will appreciate it too.

Lastly, try to do about an hour of your coursework a night, and you'll have it done soon enough. Little and often tends to work.

Just think, all this will be over soon :smile:

but once you've got yourself organised for now, you should be a lot happier.

Good luck! :biggrin:

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

OP

Thanks for all the good advice.

tldevil

dont worry too much about the mock exams, they are just mocks anyway!

Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself. However, I simply can't not take them seriously. I don't know why. I guess it's because it will knock my confidence down loads if I ***** them all up.

Reply 8

tldevil

1

just try your best, if it doesnt go too well you will know it was because you were going through a really stressful time of your life. i do see where youre coming from that you cant not take them seriously (im one of those people as well) but when it comes to times like these where there are so many other factors playing a part try and not be so harsh on yourself. youre only human - you cant be expected to balance so many things at once. whatever happens, you know you did as much as you could.

oh and have a hug
:hugs:

Reply 9

puppy

tldevil

work for your interview, im guessing that is the priority at the moment. and dont worry too much about the mock exams, they are just mocks anyway! make sure you get enough sleep and just think if you hang on for a little while longer it will all be over :smile:

By doing what? Not being stupid?

Reply 10

britishseapower

14

Anonymous

Thanks for all the good advice.

Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself. However, I simply can't not take them seriously. I don't know why. I guess it's because it will knock my confidence down loads if I ***** them all up.

whilst I agree that its good practice to take even mock/practice tests seriously, it really isn't the end of the world if you do badly in them. There will always be a way, I wasn't very successful in my GCSEs if I compare my grades to some of the ones I've seen advertised on here in various signatures but I turned it around in College and had the highest overall grade out of my course. If you fail a particular GCSE/A Level or whatever that you NEED for your future career/academic institution, you can always take a gap year and resit it at night college or something or maybe agree to resit it whilst your actually on your future course if they allow you to.

Reply 11

tldevil

1

puppy

By doing what? Not being stupid?

fine.

i will reword it.

prepare yourself for your interview. when i said work i meant do some work for the prep for it.

Reply 12

puppy

tldevil

fine.

i will reword it.

prepare yourself for your interview. when i said work i meant do some work for the prep for it.

By doing what though? I never really get it when people say that. You don't know what they're going to ask you, you must know why you applied there for your subject so I can't imagine what else you need to do.

Reply 13

tldevil

1

eg im applying for economics. i will revise my AS stuff as they will most likely test that i know some theory! and i definitely cant remember stuff from summer. so preparation would be looking over notes

Reply 14

matt@internet

12

From the way people are saying 'work' for the Cambridge interview, I'm assuming it's more than an interview?

Reply 15

--

3

matt@internet

From the way people are saying 'work' for the Cambridge interview, I'm assuming it's more than an interview?

Well, its a fairly rigorous interview, so whether or not she actually has a test before the interview (some do, some don't) then you still have to do plenty of preparation. Its certainly not something you can just turn up for and have. :smile:

Reply 16

puppy

matt@internet

From the way people are saying 'work' for the Cambridge interview, I'm assuming it's more than an interview?

Nope, not really. People just get weird because it's 'Cambridge' or whatever. I don't really get it. I just turned up and chatted to the people for a while- that's all they want to do, find out if you're a) stupid or b) smart, and a) pleasant enough to teach for 3 years or b) so annoying they can't bear to let you in.

Reply 17

Ywiss

15

puppy

Nope, not really. People just get weird because it's 'Cambridge' or whatever. I don't really get it. I just turned up and chatted to the people for a while- that's all they want to do, find out if you're a) stupid or b) smart, and a) pleasant enough to teach for 3 years or b) so annoying they can't bear to let you in.

Did you get in?

Reply 18

graveyarddreams

13

That's exactly like me. I also have a cambridge interview in just over a week, i haven't prepared for it at all, and didn't do any reading outside the syllabus. I started 2 books 2 months ago which i wrote down on my cambridge application form thinking by now i would have finished it, but never got past the first chapter. I have so much work to do, and mock exams coming up in the next 2 weeks. I had the flu last week and failed my muic exam in which i spent a lot of time practising when i couldn've spend on my work and interview preparations. So, if it helps, you are not alone.

Reply 19

Anonymous #1

OP

Thanks everyone. I am feeling a bit better now with regards to my throat/health which is good. I am trying to get on top of everything and with regards to the mock exams I may just take the days off of school rather than waste my time turning up and getting 32% or something stupid.

Puppy - if only it was that simple. At the end of the day, if the interviewers are only looking for a "nice person they can have a friendly academic chat with" then far too many people would get offers. I tihnk it is of extreme importance to re-revise your AS syllabus and do wider reading.

I can't cope at the moment.....

Related discussions

Articles for you