Afraid of Failure

LegacyUser

Im a first year law student and my exams are coming and although iv been working and attending lectures and seminars i feel that i dont have a chance in hell of passing my exams. i know this is my first year and it doesnt really count but im just so afraid of failure and more importantly i feel alone like i have no one to turn to for help the fact that i dont trust anyone doesnt help either i feel like im losing my mind

LegacyUser

'think of it like eating an elephant

it looks like a mean feat when it appears in front of you but give it some time+preperation and you could get through the whole thing.

but you're never going to achieve your goal if you dont take the first bite.

its amazing how much work you can get done if you put your mind to it but its disgraceful how much time you can waste worrying.

look at it this way:

Percentage - time required studying
____________________________________
first 10% - one day
10-20% - one week
20-40% - 2 weeks
40-60% - one month
60-70% - 6 months
70-80% - diligently studying all year
90-100% - near impossible at college level

all you need is to pass
if you want to be top of the class... you've missed the boat'

TheVan

I'm doing B&L in UCD and in final year and take it from me, if you've done the work you'll not only pass the exams but ace them in first year.

Really, don't worry. Just keep plugging away at the work, don't work yourself into a sickness, and you'll be fine!

And even if you did fail an exam, lets say because your hands fell off before your Constitutional Law exam, the worst that happens is that you repeat the paper. You don't get kicked out of college or anything (unless you're in some kind of Nazi college.....which I presume you're not!)

Don't worry, be happy!

Stirling

Law Exams are not something I would be stressing about if you've done the amount of work you've described here. They can't be compared with a pure knowledge subject where you know it you pass and you don't you fail because a huge amout of Law Exams is being able to apply the information and argue your points. Yes you need to know the material but as you've been keeping on top of things all the year you know more than you think believe me!

The fear you have now is just a way of keeping you motivated and focussed so use it to your advantage in making a final push rather than letting it take you over - make your fear a positive thing.

I was in exactly your position 4 years ago terrified of failing even though I had done a good bit of study and now I've got my BCL, Blackhalls are well underway and I'm in the process of finishing an LLM. All you have to do is keep pluggung away and you'll be grand

The very best of luck to ya!

LegacyUser

Stirling wrote:

The fear you have now is just a way of keeping you motivated and focused so use it to your advantage in making a final push rather than letting it taking you over - make your fear a positive thing.

excellent point.

i used to have 'the fear' and always did well in my exams

but since i realised failing isn't a big deal, i've become more apathetic and less motivated to succeed. i'm in need of a good scare to get me back on track.