For most students, the exams are over, and for others, the long marathon is finally nearing its end. It’s that time when you begin to feel a strange calm, just as if a storm has passed. Yet, after days of mental unrest, your mind is still tangled in confusion — should you worry, overthink, or simply let it all go? Feels familiar, doesn’t it?

Yes, there’s no doubt — exams can drive even adults to the brink. For days, your mind barely functions normally because all you can think about is studying, preparing and aiming for the best scores. As a result, sleep takes a backseat, exhaustion sets in and your body begs for a good rest.

Even now, you may be chatting with your friends, exchanging funny gossip, and constantly reminding each other about different questions or answers, but something still makes you anxious. The stress of result day, which, ironically, feels both freeing and unsettling at the same time. This post-exam phase brings with it a mix of relief, reflection and for many, lingering restlessness.

Every day, a new thought seems to pop into your mind, a sudden thought that makes you wonder, “Did I write that correctly? Should I have skipped that part? Why did I even waste time on that one question?” You keep replaying every detail, second-guessing what was right and what went wrong. Dozens of thoughts like these keep circling in your head, especially in the days leading up to the results.

But have you ever thought about how this stressful exam period also leaves you more reformed and wiser?

Just as everything teaches us a lesson, exams also leave us with a bundle of lessons to learn from. Let’s check out what these lessons are, so that we can keep them in our mind for the upcoming academic year.

What exams taught you (beyond the syllabus)

When we think of exams, we usually focus on memorising dates, formulas, definitions and diagrams. But what often go unnoticed are the life lessons hidden in the process.

Time management: Even if you haven’t fully grasped the value of time, you’ve likely learnt how to manage it to some extent. During exams, you carefully divided your hours between subjects and topics, allocating your time accordingly. There must be some times when you gave up your favourite activities, events or even gatherings in favour of studying. So dear friends, you not only learnt time management, but did your best to stick to your timetable, and adapted when things didn’t go as planned.

Resilience: Yes, you learnt that too! Especially when you felt like giving up, exhausted to the level you cried your heart out, but you kept pushing your limits through it all — such as tough subjects, bad mock scores or days when you just couldn’t focus. But you kept going. That’s resilience — and it’s far more valuable than any textbook definition, you know what you’ve learnt to deal with all the toughness that you have faced.

Discipline: Pushing yourself to your limits made you say ‘no’ to distractions, forcing yourself to revise one more chapter, showing up even when you didn’t feel like it — these small acts of discipline have built in you the inner strength that lasts far beyond exam season.

Self-awareness: Exams taught you to manage pressure and keep a cool head when things don’t go as expected. Perhaps you faced questions that you never expected, or perhaps in all the exams there was a bad surprise for you! This was the moment that tested your ability to handle the unknown.

Many of you would now know yourself better — how you study, how you react under pressure, what motivates you, and what holds you back. This awareness is the first step toward growth, and when the next academic session starts, it will help you study accordingly.

Exam results anxiety!

Perhaps the most nerve-wracking part of exams isn’t the actual studying or even writing the paper — it’s the wait that follows. The days leading up to the results can feel endless. Your heartbeat starts pounding every time someone mentions marks, and your brain keeps replaying the mistakes you might have made. Every little thing makes you feel nervous: a classmate’s message, a random thought about that tricky question, or even just hearing the word “results.”

If your group chats are filled with non-stop talk about marks and who did what, it’s okay to take a step back. You don’t need to be part of every conversation. Protect your peace. Everyone handles stress differently, and if staying silent helps you stay calm, then that’s fine.

The pressure of expectations

You’ll start hearing questions like ‘what do you think, what grade are you expecting this time?’ or maybe ‘if you don’t score this or that, you will be cut off from your friend meetups, mobile phone time, etc’. These can be overwhelming, especially if you’re unsure about your performance.

Remember: it’s okay to think, ‘I did my best and now I’m waiting to see.’ Just let others be satisfied with your polite answer and don’t be rude. This is all normal and everyone has to face it after the exams. The trick is to keep your cool and stay optimistic.

After the results!

Not every exam goes according to plan. Maybe you blanked out during the test, maybe the paper was unexpectedly difficult, or perhaps your preparation didn’t quite match what was asked. It happens to even the brightest students. Disappointment is natural, but don’t let it take over you. One exam or result does not define your worth, intelligence or future. What matters more is how you bounce back, what you learn from the experience and how you grow from it. Give yourself the space to reflect, but also the grace to move forward.

Remember that you have a bunch of new things that you have learnt during this exam period, right? So, it’s okay to not have everything figured out in the first place, you’re still learning, and that’s the most important part in your life.

Be gentle while answering your parents!

It’s natural that if you didn’t meet your parents’ expectations, you might face some scolding. But don’t let that break your spirit; bear it calmly, because every parent wants their child to shine. It’s normal. What you need to do is show that you’re determined, that you’re willing to put in effort, and that you understand where things went wrong.

Let them see that you accept your mistakes and are open to learning from them. Tell them you’re ready to improve and that you’re not giving up. Growth starts when you’re honest with yourself and ready to explore the areas where you need help.

You are more than your marks!

Exams test only a fraction of your ability, often under stress and unrealistic conditions. One paper, one score or one semester does not define your future or yourself! Mistakes are learning opportunities. If you struggled and felt you were losing at a certain point, reflect on why. Was it time management? Concept clarity? Focus? More guidance? Use that insight not to feel bad, but to grow.

If you’re feeling low, don’t punish yourself with negative thoughts. Talk to a friend, write your feelings down, or speak to someone you trust. You’re not alone, and you’re not failing; you’re learning.

Exams are a chapter, not your entire story. Whether you soared or stumbled, you did something difficult, and that matters. The marks will come, but your character, your courage and your capacity to grow will stay with you.

So breathe. Smile. You’ve earned this pause. And no matter what the results are, know this: you are more than enough.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 24th, 2025