How to Cope When Waiting for Exam Results

Waiting for matric results can be hell. In fact, for learners and university students alike, waiting for exam results can seem like it is taking up every minute of the day.

In this article, you will find out how to diminish that waiting for test results anxiety and also what words of encouragement to use for someone waiting for exam results.

You’ll also find out how to deal with poor results and what to do when waiting for test results.

These are points that should give you food for thought and possibly even change your study techniques altogether.

Beating Procrastination   

If you think there isn’t a need to review study materials, you are mistaken.

Time is a thief that unexpectedly robs everyone. The best way to make sure you are not caught out by its treachery is to get ahead of it. Being ill-prepared is one sure way to create that ‘waiting for test results anxiety’ that you want to avoid.

Make sure that you review the subjects that you struggle in with more intensity than the ones that come naturally. Remain focused and find ways to diversify your learning experience. To do this, change your environment and use different methods.

Make sure you read our full article on how to beat procrastination and lessen the stress of waiting for exam results.

Managing Exam Stress

Exams are stressful and their results can have life-altering impact. Often, there are university entrances, scholarships and even jobs at stake.

There is no doubt, exams create pressure. We grow up dreading exams because the outcome is often so profound, which can give way to ‘waiting for test results anxiety.’

If the exam is written, remember there is nothing you can do about it. Worrying will not change the outcome and will only make you feel worse. But try saying that to someone who is waiting for matric results.

One way to manage stress is to be as prepared as you possibly can. Start with a plan that organises your revision and manages your time. Creating mind maps will also help to provide you with a visual guide that will make an imprint in your memory.

If you don’t have a study group or academic coach, then consider. If you are in a peer group, it will be your chance to offer words of encouragement to someone waiting for exam results.

In fact, make sure that you have the support of loved ones too. Tell them what you think are good words of encouragement for someone waiting for exam results.

In addition, make sure you read 9 ways to reduce exam stress, especially if you are waiting for matric results.

Tips for Waiting for Exam Results: Staying Calm, Doing Your Best

Some think that positive affirmations are over-hyped, but taking charge of one’s circumstances starts in the mind. When you know that mindset is everything things change.

Still, to avoid that ‘waiting for test results anxiety’ you will need to know your material.

Besides that, it will give you confidence and the peace of mind that you have done your best.

Doing your best to prepare will help you to believe in yourself. Believing in yourself will give you confidence and peace. With this peace, you won’t be wondering what to do when waiting for test results. You’ll know that it is out of your hands.

If you took charge of your exams by making a study plan as well as eating and exercising right, you may even have enough peace to offer words of encouragement for someone waiting for matric results.

Another thing to remember when waiting for exam results is that your results, regardless of the outcome, do not define you.

The truth is that your grades do not reveal who you are and they only shape your future to the extent that you believe that they do.

Take Jack Ma, one of China’s richest men as an example. Not only did he struggle through school and fail his university entrance three times, but he was also rejected by Harvard Business School 10 times.

Of course, exams are necessary and important. If you are waiting for matric results, it can seem like the whole world depends on that mark, but in truth, they are not the only key to your future.

Take care of yourself and believe in yourself. Also, if you’re wondering what to do when waiting for test results, remember that your grades do not reveal the whole picture of who you are.

If you are looking for other words of encouragement for someone waiting for exam results, read our related article on how to stay calm and do your best in exams.

Coping With Failure

Going over an exam over and over in your head is quite natural, but not necessarily helpful. Did you get that question right? Did you understand the question? You might even be the first to comment on your peer WhatsApp group.

All of this is normal whether you waiting for matric results or a term test. It is ok to want to share your experience with your friends and family.

Discussions like this might help to allay your fears by putting things into perspective. It might also be the way that you can offer words of encouragement for someone waiting for exam results.

One of the best ways to remove post-exam stress is to clear your mind of anything education-related. And should the worst happen, there are good ways to cope with exam failure.

What to Do When Waiting for Test Results

Waiting for exam results could either drive you crazy or you could choose to do other things. We recommend the latter!

Take a look at other aspects of your life, home and community, what needs to be done?

If you have ever experienced the satisfaction of accomplishment, you’ll know that its benefits are far-reaching. Being productive and proactive is a sure way to reduce anxiety and rumination over what cannot be changed.

You could also get to work. Students who take on summer jobs are not only rewarded with cash but also invaluable experience, in some ways even more long-lasting than what is gained in a classroom!

Part-time jobs are also a great wait to make friends and extend your professional network for the future.

Another way to relieve exam anxiety is to have fun. Watch movies, catch up with friends, go to the beach, travel or take up a new hobby.  These and more are good ways to spend time waiting for exam results.

Managing Failure

There is always the reality that you could receive a negative result. Firstly, keep calm and make sure that your paper was correctly marked. If you have a discrepancy, take it to your teacher immediately.

Once you have ruled out a marking error, allow yourself a brief period to wallow in your grief. Here, allow the emphasis to be on the word ‘brief’ and do not allow the experience to dismantle your positive self-esteem.

Failing an exam does not make you a failure.

During this time of processing, try not to compare yourself to your peers. Avoid chat groups where results are being discussed and consider taking a break from social media which is the playground of comparison.

In the same way, avoid negative and opinionated people. Sadly, it is easy to interpret academic performance criticism as an overall assessment of who one is as a person.

Once the shock is over, begin to look ahead.

If you can retake your exam, will you? Will you look for an academic coach who could help you to identify where you went wrong and strategically help you to prepare for a rewrite?

If you decide that academia is not for you, what do you plan to do with your future?

Whatever you decide to do, remember that exam failure is not a personal failure. Try to turn the experience into a positive one where the lessons outweigh the disappointment. Then take the newfound knowledge and use them as stepping stones to propel you forward into a brighter future.

Of course, exam failure can feel devastating, especially when society places so much emphasis on results to determine our worth. However, this does not mean that that is true. Results do not determine our worth.

What is important is finding out how to prepare well, do your best and have support in place to coach you through the process.

If you are struggling with exam failure, why not take the words of Chumbawumba to hear: "I get knocked down, but I get up again". Let them be your mantra, dust yourself off and keep marching forward.