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My Exams Make Me Feel Stressed

30 October, 2022
Q Salam sir. I am in high school and my exams are due in two weeks. I am going through a lot of tension and depression because I can’t complete all my work. I want to kill myself because I can’t handle the pressure but then I think it is haraam. Please, sir, help out.

Answer


In this counseling answer:

• Seek more intensive counseling due to your suicidal thoughts.

• Try and identify why exactly it causes you so much stress.

• Most importantly, pray!


Wa Alaikum Salaam wa Rahmatulahi wa Barakatuh,

Education at all levels comes with a great deal of stress on many different levels; social, academic or financial mainly.

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In your case, you are worried about exams. The pressure is having severely detrimental effects on your psychological health.

The first thing I would urge you to do is seek more intensive counseling due to your suicidal thoughts.

Most schools have a counselor, so this is something you might look into.

Counselors from within the school itself will be more experienced in working with students with exactly the same problem that you having.

karim serageldin & naaila clay

Stress and pressure as a result of exams are very common. In fact, most people go through it at some point.

Try and identify why exactly it causes you so much stress.

This will help you to determine your best line of action.

For example, is it because your future career relies on the results of this exam? Or family pressures to perform well?

Either way, ask yourself, what’s the worst that could happen? If you fail, it’s not the end of the world. There is likely an option for a retake.

This may delay things, but understand that Allah is the best of planners and will bring you educational success and progression when the time is right for you. He knows best.

In sha Allah, you will pass, but it’s always useful to have a backup plan in case you don’t.

This way, you don’t have to live with the stress attached to wondering why you will do if you fail.

If you plan ahead, you will feel less burdened as you know that even if the worse should happen, you have a backup plan so won’t face a future of uncertainty.

The severe stress you face is more likely to have an effect on your performance than anything.

Thus, it’s important to try and get on top of this not only for your own wellbeing, but I order that you will perform better in your exam. There are numerous ways to approach this.


Check out this counseling video:


Schedule. You have a lot to revise so schedule what topics you will revise each day to ensure that you allow sufficient time to revise each thing with plenty of time before your exam.

This will also avoid you ending up with the added stress of having to do last minute revision.

Take care of yourself. Make sure to do things other than revising fit your exam.

Give yourself a break and do something fun. Spend time with friends.

Additionally, take care of yourself in the form of exercise, eating well and getting sufficient sleep.

All of which are essential for good health and will ultimately impact on your exam performance also.

Most importantly, pray! Ask Allah for the knowledge you need to pass. Fund comfort in His remembrance and your heart will find rest in all realms of life.

May Allah grant you ease with your stressful situation and grant you the knowledge to pass your exams without further stress.

Salam,

***

Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information provided in the question. In no event shall AboutIslam, its counselors or employees be held liable for any damages that may arise from your decision in the use of our services.

Read more: 

Failing In Exams, Please Help

How to Balance Exams and Ramadan?

Can I Delay & Combine My Prayers Due To Exams?

About Hannah Morris
Hannah Morris is a mum of 4 and she currently works as Counsellor and Instructor of BSc. Psychology at the Islamic Online University (IOU). She obtained her MA degree in Psychology and has over 10 years of experience working in health and social care settings in the UK, USA, and Ireland. Check out her personal Facebook page, ActiveMindCare, that promotes psychological well-being in the Ummah. (www.facebook.com/activemindcare)