A Level Exams are killing me

[SummerTime]

I am almost done with these A2 exams, I just have a couple to go before they finish, but my health is gone .. right down the drain since starting revising for these exams several months ago. Let me explain:

I've put on more weight, despite drinking up to 3 litres every single day. Main reason being that I've start on my ass all day.. working towards the exams.

I've been sleeping at 2am and waking up at 6am ... most of the days for 2 weeks. Which makse me tired for the whole of the evening.. but I force myself to stay awake to finish working.

I'm always hungry, so just snack on food around the house when I feel like it. Though at the moment I'm starving and now if I eat a meal at this time.. I'll put on a lot more weight than if I dont.

I'm stressed out. I have exams coming within 4 days and have no revised the whole of the content yet. THe 'bags' under my eyes are clearly visible now. I'm always moody, annoyed with one my sibnblings, can't sleep at 10 anymore. Always worrying about these exams and the result..Cos i know i havent worked hard enough for the Bs/As I aimed for. Just so angry with myself. Dont know what to do or who talk to.

My health has literally .. flopped. I havent done exercise.. in months. I occassionly sit down with the family and eat a proper meal.. during the day I eat either too little, or too frickin much. My stomach just looks horrible. Eugh. Sorry for the really upset thread, but tbh i dont know where else to post it and what to do.

Any advice or anything I can do to make myself even a little bit better?.. As for all these little health problems, they're eating me up inside. What shall I do?

Edit: I forgot to mention. Questioning my sexuality has progressed a completely new level and I'm so annoyed at myself that I'm not out when I promised myself I would. This whole sexuality crap is making me angry, and I feel like punching a hole into the wall.

Which I did do a couple of days ago. Ouch

[Lexington]

Random thoughts as I think of 'em.

>>>I've put on more weight, despite drinking up to 3 litres every single day.

Of water, presumably? Otherwise, that may be your problem right there.

>>>I've been sleeping at 2am and waking up at 6am ... most of the days for 2 weeks. Which makse me tired for the whole of the evening.. but I force myself to stay awake to finish working.

Thing is - forcing yourself to work late and getting a minimal amount of sleep isn't conducive to doing a good job. As you're finding out, it makes you muddle-headed and irritable, and it's now going to take you longer to get the same amount of work done. Try to shoot for at least six hours of sleep a night, and if you feel horribly groggy in the afternoon, take a 30-to-60 minute nap. If you can't sleep (because you're so caught up in the tests), just lay in a dark room. Don't read, don't study. Listen to quiet music if you'd like, but let your brain free to roam where it may. It may keep regurgitating your material, but that's fine - it might find a more helpful way to organize it.

>>>My health has literally .. flopped. I havent done exercise.. in months.

Exercise helps the brain work, too. It gives the brain a break, and lets it reorganize everything. So set aside time. Every half hour, stand up, turn on a favorite uptempo song, and dance around your room like a moron. Or every hour, go outside and fast walk/jog around the block for about 10 minutes.

Stock up on healthy snacks - fresh veggies and crackers are my favorites, but pick whatever works for you.

Lex

[Artemicion]

Hm..i'm no expert here, but I would actually refrain from snacking. I believe that eating little bits over time actually gains you more weight than eating proper meals at the right time (someone correct me if I'm wrong). So, my advice would be eat proper meals that are "normal" portions and eat SLOWLY. Pay attention to your food when you're eating, chew and savour the food then swallow. Don't rush your meals.

As for sleep schedule, I can't really help you there as I've screwed up my own right now X_X. As for worrying about exam results, think about it this way, once you're done the test, it's out of your hands. There's no use worrying then because no matter how much you worry, it's not going to change the results. So what you should be doing is actually let loose and give yourself a break!

By the way, what have you been drinking?

[starfish]

You know even God took a day off.

I suggest taking a day or two and relax. The exams will still be there when you get back.

[KaraBulut]

I often see students in two very different patterns of studying-

1. One group makes studying part of their daily routine. They use available time to study, read, highlight and make notes between classes, during their lunch hour, in the evening after class and on the weekends. They eat, sleep (including naps), work and exercise as much as they can to keep a normal life.
2. The other group are the crammers. They have more trouble incorporating studying into their normal routine. They tend to stress out and do things like stay up all night studying.

I can't say that either group does better on the exams. It still ends up being a matter of what you know and how good you are at taking the tests. I will say that the people who studying in smaller periods and who try to have a normal life end up looking and feeling better. The crammers usually end up gaining weight, getting sick and being pretty miserable during and after testing periods- both from a combination of being stressed out and from pushing their body too hard.

[Ben]

A levels shouldn't be pushing you this hard, what subjects are you taking? Does your college have someone you can speak to about all of the stress you're under? Remember that you can always retake in June if they go badly.

[Kerze]

Originally Posted by Ben

A levels shouldn't be pushing you this hard, what subjects are you taking?

This is what I'm thinking, hwo are A-Levels hard enough to do this to you? I understand how much work goes in especially for harder subjects like Sciences and Maths but even those shouldn't be working you so hard that you're getting 4 hours of sleep a night.

Really you need to chill the hell out, if you do less revision and get more sleep and set down to 3 meals a day you'll learn/remember more than if you don't eat properly, don't sleep proplerly and spend all your time revising.

I need A's to get into my first choice uni so I revise. A LOT. But I also get 3 meals a day, at least 8 horus of sleep and go running 4 times a week. If I didn't, I'd go crazy