gcse mental health

im quite an academic student and have always prided myself on my good grades, having got eight 9s and two 8s in my year 10 mocks.

ive always struggled with mental health but the struggles have never gotten in the way of my grades but with mocks when i go back next year im just starting to feel too burnt out, tired and overwhelmed to study.

its like this never ending cycle of not studying, feeling guilty, getting upset and it happening all over again. i did i a good week of work and then now i just cant seem to get back on the grind.

i dont want to waste my potential and be dissapointed in myself but i can feel myself slipping while also not knowing how to make it stop, i know im capable and i know that mocks dont mean much in the grand scheme but im just wondering if im struggling this much now how im meant to go through the next 6 months.

Reply 1

Whispurrr

Original post

by Anonymous

im quite an academic student and have always prided myself on my good grades, having got eight 9s and two 8s in my year 10 mocks.
ive always struggled with mental health but the struggles have never gotten in the way of my grades but with mocks when i go back next year im just starting to feel too burnt out, tired and overwhelmed to study.
its like this never ending cycle of not studying, feeling guilty, getting upset and it happening all over again. i did i a good week of work and then now i just cant seem to get back on the grind.
i dont want to waste my potential and be dissapointed in myself but i can feel myself slipping while also not knowing how to make it stop, i know im capable and i know that mocks dont mean much in the grand scheme but im just wondering if im struggling this much now how im meant to go through the next 6 months.

GCSEs are so so hard, 10 subjects to study is ridiculous! It's amazing that you're able to achieve grades like that in Year 10. I feel like I've experienced quite a similar situation, I also pride myself on achieving good grades, but I am a HUGE procrastinator. I totally get that horrible feeling of being too burnt out to study, and then feeling nothing but guilty in the time i spend doing no work and trying to recouperate. Its the worst feeling ever.

I can't stress the fact enough that GCSEs should be treated as your ticket to A Levels (or further study) alone! You do NOT need ten 9's to do the subjects you want to do at A Level! For me, I adored English Language and Literature, I never got less than a 9 for either in any mock i did throughout Year 10 and 11 and I was so proud of myself for that. In the end, I got a 7 and an 8 in my real exams. I was pretty upset, I always want to do my absolute best, I can empathise with not wanting to 'waste my potential', but seriously it did not matter one bit, I'm in Year 13 doing English Literature A Level, and it's all going smoothly. As long as your grades meet the entry requirements needed for what you want to do next, I promise you'll hardly ever think about those grades again. Nobody is unlocking their full potential at GCSEs, everyone is just trying to stay afloat while being forced to study 10 subjects in detail. A Levels are your time to shine! 3 subjects, woohoo!!!

People might frighten you saying that the top universities will look at your GCSE grades. From all that I've seen, this is mostly fearmongering used by teachers. By the sounds of it, you're an academic weapon and your motivation on the reference that your teacher will write about you in your applications will overpower any possible 'issues' in your GCSE results. Only the top unis care at all, and only ever in the subjects relevant to the course. Even then, there are tons of reasons a person might nor perform how they'd like in their GCSEs, they also consider your school, the area you live in, but at the end of the day really don't care if your A Levels and Personal Statement are very impressive. I say this all as someone who is aiming to apply at top universities, I don't worry at all about my GCSEs. I got three 9's, two 8's, a 7 and a 6. Now I'm working hard and predicted three A*'s because I love my subjects and have the space to invest highly in each of them, space which nobody has at GCSE.

Overall what I'm saying is that there is no need to push yourself so hard. You are clearly a talented student, and as long as you're putting in decent effort, listening in lessons, recapping things you're unsure of, you're going to do exceptionally well. Go play some minecraft or binge watch a show! And don't feel guilty about it!

Take care of yourself, everybody is rooting for you, don't work yourself too hard! Aim for being comfortably above the bare minimum required for your next course (A Levels, etc.), and one day you'll wake up and your exams will be over!