Exam Results!

After months of hard work and pressure preparing for and taking exams, further stress on young people comes with results: not meeting your own or others’ expectations; worries about what’s ahead, even if you’re on the path you wanted; post-exam deflation. This new level of stress can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and negative thoughts. Vague reassurances from adults, like it’s alright, everything will work out, can easily be interpreted by a teen as dismissive and are not helpful. Young people deserve our support and acknowledgement of their stress, and our guidance to as they work through solutions. We can also help by offering distractions and allowing them time to relax and focus their minds on other things.