Sick of this!

michele101

Haven't studied properly since before the mocks. Last week I didn't do a tap, not even the written homework given by the teachers. The mocks really knocked my confidence, got 390 points when I need at least 450. Spent all my weekends studying this year and seems now like I won't even get the points. I haven't done anything again this weekend. Constantly depressed and tired, whenever I try to study now I either daydream, fall asleep, give up or end up crying with stress! I sound ridiculous and people will tell me to stop making excuses and just do it but I literally can't! I tell myself this everyday, I have all my aims and what I need to do each day but it never gets done. Confidence= gone. Seriously starting to buckle under the stress now. Any advice anyone?

dalta5billion

michele101 wrote: »

Haven't studied properly since before the mocks. Last week I didn't do a tap, not even the written homework given by the teachers. The mocks really knocked my confidence, got 390 points when I need at least 450. Spent all my weekends studying this year and seems now like I won't even get the points. I haven't done anything again this weekend. Constantly depressed and tired, whenever I try to study now I either daydream, fall asleep, give up or end up crying with stress! I sound ridiculous and people will tell me to stop making excuses and just do it but I literally can't! I tell myself this everyday, I have all my aims and what I need to do each day but it never gets done. Confidence= gone. Seriously starting to buckle under the stress now. Any advice anyone?

Hello and welcome to your first leaving cert breakdown. I'll be your guide.

Mocks are utter tripe for the most part. The only benefit of them is the experience of sitting down in front of a piece of paper and realising how insecure you are in your leaving cert knowledge. For some people (who haven't done a tap all year), this psychological trick works, and they start studying.

However, for people like you, who have been studying all along, the mocks act as a major depressant- what's the point in working so hard for so little result? This is wrong IMO. The only thing you can be assured of is that the questions will be fairer and the marking better in the real thing.

I experienced a similar slump last week after my orals - don't worry, you'll pick right back up. Watch some TV, eat a lot of ice cream and maybe go to a few parties. You'll be fine.

dee_mc

michele101 wrote: »

Haven't studied properly since before the mocks. Last week I didn't do a tap, not even the written homework given by the teachers. The mocks really knocked my confidence, got 390 points when I need at least 450. Spent all my weekends studying this year and seems now like I won't even get the points. I haven't done anything again this weekend. Constantly depressed and tired, whenever I try to study now I either daydream, fall asleep, give up or end up crying with stress! I sound ridiculous and people will tell me to stop making excuses and just do it but I literally can't! I tell myself this everyday, I have all my aims and what I need to do each day but it never gets done. Confidence= gone. Seriously starting to buckle under the stress now. Any advice anyone?

Oh this sounds familiar! If it's any comfort, there are many people in the same boat as you right now!
It's a long time since I did my Leaving (2003) but I went through the same thought process and feelings as yourself.
In hindsight I was suffering from anxiety.
I convinced myself that I hadn't a hope of achieving my first CAO choice, as I had a shortfall of 75 points in the mocks.
I got through it by saying 'Right, I can't control the exam papers that are dealt, and I can't control how they are marked at the end of the day, but what can I control?'.
And I decided that the only way to stay in control was to do my best.
My best didn't involve studying for hours and hours every single night, and it certainly didn't involve staying in every weekend.
I had the odd night out, just to stop myself going mad, and I got some fresh air most evenings to stop my brain and body seizing up , and I got at least 8 hours sleep every night.
I stopped thinking about the number of points I needed and the number of points I got in the mock and just got on with studying as much as I could.
Your motivation levels are low right now, but just think: In 2 months it will all be over! Give it your best shot for those 2 months; look after yourself, eat well, sleep, get fresh air, organise your study sessions so that they work for you. Use your mock papers to focus your revision on the areas that really need attention. You have done the groundwork, you can do the rest!
Final thought: I improved on my mock results by more than 100 points in the actual Leaving Cert. I did this by ignoring the loud 'you can't do this, so stop trying now because if you don't really try, you don't really fail!' voice in my head. You have to find a way to do the same.

Delphinium

You are only ten points per subject off the total. As a teacher my advice is answer past exam questions, first without reference to books or notes. Then using the marking schemes, learn what you didn't know and move on to the next question. Answering the paper completely and timing it properly will enable you to get the best out of the exam. No blank spaces is my mantra. It is also a good idea to run through the index of your text books and look up any word which you don't recognise. Eat properly and sleep. It is not easy but try to get your head down for the next few weeks. Above all work at the paper in the exam until the time is fully up. Good luck.

if832uspx4eogt

I was prepared to post the same thing as you today, so at least I'm not the only one!

I had my French oral last week and I worked really hard for it, and I ended up feeling a bit deflated afterward...the examiner asked me a few weird questions whereas everyone else seems to have breezed though.

So this week I felt a bit deflated, but after this week it's only 1 month more of revision, it's not the exams themselves that are the problem for me - I'm not really under pressure for points as I got 100 over my course in the mocks, but I still want to maintain my 475 points, get even higher if possible.

But it's a lot of work. 1 month only really (after this week) and it the Leaving Cert will be done forever. I'm trying to look at it from a positive angle, the year is going quick. I remember when I started back in August the mocks and the orals seemed light years away, now they're done.

This month will go quick, and it's worth putting the effort in. Cause even though I'm not struggling for points, I won't forgive myself easy if I end up getting worse than in the mocks cause I coasted the last few months feeling sorry for myself. Even if I don't get my required result, at least I know I did my best.

randylonghorn

dee_mc wrote: »

Your motivation levels are low right now, but just think: In 2 months it will all be over! Give it your best shot for those 2 months; look after yourself, eat well, sleep, get fresh air, organise your study sessions so that they work for you. Use your mock papers to focus your revision on the areas that really need attention. You have done the groundwork, you can do the rest!

This.

In particular, I would make a big effort to get plenty of exercise over the next couple of weeks; you'd be surprised how much of the stress / anxiety you can gradually swim / run / cycle out of your system. It will also help you sleep better, which in turn will help overall.