Underperforming in exams (1 Viewer)

Capo

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
103
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Is it just me or has anyone else just completely failed an exam after studying hard for it beforehand?

I've studied for half yearly examinations for weeks and yet I still managed to screw it up :(

I know my content but I just lose so many marks (about 22/60 marks) due to silly errors. And I know most of the stuff i got wrong but I just somehow get it wrong...

Any advice would be appreciated!
 

nerdasdasd

Dont.msg.me.about.english
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
5,354
Location
A, A
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2017
Is it just me or has anyone else just completely failed an exam after studying hard for it beforehand?

I've studied for half yearly examinations for weeks and yet I still managed to screw it up :(

I know my content but I just lose so many marks (about 22/60 marks) due to silly errors. And I know most of the stuff i got wrong but I just somehow get it wrong...

Any advice would be appreciated!
Do you get stressed in the exam? Stress > increased cortisol > forgetting things > reduced performance.
 

Capo

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
103
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Do you get stressed in the exam? Stress > increased cortisol > forgetting things > reduced performance.
I was extremely stressed, but that wasn't really the problem. I used the right methods during exams but the answer that comes out is just wrong. I know how to use it, but the answers on the exam are just incorrect.
 

nerdasdasd

Dont.msg.me.about.english
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
5,354
Location
A, A
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2017
I was extremely stressed, but that wasn't really the problem. I used the right methods during exams but the answer that comes out is just wrong. I know how to use it, but the answers on the exam are just incorrect.
That is the problem, stress affects your mind and the ability of you to do the exam to the best of your ability.
 

deloving

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
437
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
I was extremely stressed, but that wasn't really the problem.
Why should you be so stressed when you've studied weeks for it? If you commit yourself to studying early for an exam, good for you, take a day off before the exam - minimal skimming through the content at max, maybe going over quotes or formulas. I only did this once (because every other time I cram it all the day before) and it did wonders, not stress and such.
 

kwu1

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
194
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
I was extremely stressed, but that wasn't really the problem. I used the right methods during exams but the answer that comes out is just wrong. I know how to use it, but the answers on the exam are just incorrect.
Have you tried doing some exercise or some breathing exercise to reduce pre-exam anxiety/stress?
 

Capo

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
103
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
That is the problem, stress affects your mind and the ability of you to do the exam to the best of your ability.
How did you guys manage to manage your stress during the HSC to minimise the damage? ?

Why should you be so stressed when you've studied weeks for it? If you commit yourself to studying early for an exam, good for you, take a day off before the exam - minimal skimming through the content at max, maybe going over quotes or formulas. I only did this once (because every other time I cram it all the day before) and it did wonders, not stress and such.
I was stressed over a number of personal issues at the time and failed an exam just weeks beforehand, so I guess it's a habit for me to stress over exams haha :L

Have you tried doing some exercise or some breathing exercise to reduce pre-exam anxiety/stress?
Good idea.
 

Spiritual Being

hehehehehe
Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
3,054
Location
Sydney, Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Uni Grad
2018
I've never actually failed an exam, i.e. <50%, but I have underperformed.

I do part it on my lack of study, though. Just stay calm.

If you're stressing, and envisioning your failure due to this anxiety, you have failed half of the exam before you have started it.
 

GoldyOrNugget

Señor Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2012
Messages
583
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Shit happens. You will probably underperform in at least one of your HSC exams. Just don't be too hard on yourself.
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Messages
61
Location
lost in a glass case of emotion
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Shit happens. ... don't be too hard on yourself.
My exact outlook on life. If I don't do as well as I had hoped in a test then I make that my focus point for the next time around.
Also, try compeditive sport. It helped me out so much dealing with the pressure of racing I taught myself to apply the same concepts to sitting and exam.
 

Makematics

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
1,829
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
f you're confident you know your stuff, you should be eager to do the exam. when i am well prepared for an exam (which is rarely), i'm always eager to smash the exam, rather than worried about what could possibly go wrong. so maybe try actually enjoying the stuff you're learning :) and yeah that's a good tip from deloving, i took the weekend off and got a good nights sleep before my final prelim maths exam, and it truly did make a difference. don't worry, you wont forget anything :)
 

Coetez

New Member
Joined
May 17, 2013
Messages
15
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Silly mistakes in maths is what loses me marks as well. The only thing that's really helped me is going through the exam as fast as possible then in the time remaining redoing all the questions to 'sift through' silly errors and fix them. Works for me, though one does need to go pretty quickly. :) good luck
 

iBibah

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
1,374
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Is it just me or has anyone else just completely failed an exam after studying hard for it beforehand?

I've studied for half yearly examinations for weeks and yet I still managed to screw it up :(

I know my content but I just lose so many marks (about 22/60 marks) due to silly errors. And I know most of the stuff i got wrong but I just somehow get it wrong...

Any advice would be appreciated!
I don't think 22 marks is all silly mistakes. Maybe you've convinced yourself you "knew all the content".

Also consider how well you studied. Studying 2hrs a day for 2 weeks doesn't mean you'll be ready, especially if you study in a really bad way.

If the above is incorrect than this was a one off.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 

Makematics

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
1,829
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Silly mistakes in maths is what loses me marks as well. The only thing that's really helped me is going through the exam as fast as possible then in the time remaining redoing all the questions to 'sift through' silly errors and fix them. Works for me, though one does need to go pretty quickly. :) good luck
i actually go at medium-slow pace, even though i know i can go faster, because i make less mistakes. your strategy will pretty much fail if you do 4U maths. this is because you will rush through the first half of the paper and when you get to the hard questions you will naturally try to get the solution out, and there will be no time to check the first half, and hence you will lose marks. however this strategy has worked for many in 2U.
 

SuchSmallHands

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Messages
1,391
Gender
Female
HSC
2014
My stress reducing method is not studying for exams. I do like two hours of study a night (give or take, depending on assessments, social life, work, etc.) and don't really alter that at all going into exams. I don't really need to, because I'm not rote learning the content and forgetting it right after (like I tend to do when I cram) I just know it. I flick through my notes briefly to refresh myself the morning of the exam and that's about it for exam-centric study. Sounds weird, but do far I've got modern and legal back and I got 94% and 100% respectively, so I guess it works.
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top