The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “..a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” As high school students, there are various things that can have an affect on our mental health. These include lack of mental health support, academic pressure, and social dynamics. Another thing? Stress. While schools have lessons for students to learn how to understand and deal with stress, when things like a big test or an exam are approaching, it might be difficult to remember these lessons.
But why bring this up? Many NPHS students are preparing for their AP exam (or exams!) that are beginning on Monday, May 5th. Our school offers 15 AP courses for students to take. For some, all they might need to do is review the course curriculum, while others might need to study topics that they haven’t gone over in class yet. Having to review, prepare, and study for AP exams while still managing normal classwork and homework for other classes can increase anxiety and stress.
Don’t panic though! Stress and anxiety are natural things that everyone feels or has, and there are things you can do to help with them during your AP exams – or any big tests!
- Make sure you get enough sleep! On the night before your exam, try to get 7-8 hours of sleep, and try to have a consistent sleep pattern leading up to it.
- Be prepared! In the time leading up to your exam, make sure you have reviewed what you need to, but make sure to manage it effectively. Spend a little extra time on topics you don’t understand as well as others. Also make sure you arrive on time at the correct room.
- Breathe! If you find yourself stressing out or getting anxious thinking about your exam, or during the actual exam, remember to take a few deep breaths to calm down and relax.
- Be positive! Fight the negative I didn’t study enough, I’m gonna fail! thoughts and stay positive by telling yourself you can do it, or that you’re going to do great.
- Manage your time! During the exam, make sure to answer as many questions as you can, but don’t rush through and make mistakes.
While you can’t plan for everything, ensuring that you’re prepared and ready can help reduce how much stress and anxiety you might feel during your exam.
If you need to reach out to someone to talk, NPHS has five guidance counselors, two school psychologists, two social workers, and a student assistance counselor. You can also text “home” to 988 for a 24/7 mental health resource.
