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Exams are an almost unavoidable part of young people’s lives – and, inevitably, some people perform better than others. But what is more important than taking exams is how students manage the results of their exams – especially if they aren’t what was expected.
When the results are negative, it can be easy to come up with automatic thoughts such as “I will never succeed in my life”, “I’ve disappointed my parents”, or “everyone is better than me”. And although it might feel like these thoughts are valid and very real at the time, most of these statements are contaminated with thinking errors.
One example of a thinking error is what’s known as “dichotomous thinking”. This happens when people perceive things in black or white terms – it’s either a success or a failure. There’s also “fortune telling”, this is expressed when people believe they know what is going to happen: “I will fail again.” Another type of thinking error is “catastrophising”, which is where you think the worst possible outcome will occur – so it might be something like: “If I fail the exams, I will be unemployed for the rest of my life.”
In these situations, it’s also easy to start “overgeneralising”, where you extend any conclusions you reach about one thing to cover everything. People do this by using absolute terms – “always” or “never” – such as: “Since I failed this exam, I will always fail in everything.” It’s common, too, for people to “discount the positives” and underestimate their strengths – thinking along the lines of: “The last time I did a good job was only because I was lucky.”
More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2018/08/a-levels-how-to-stop-stressing-over.html
When the results are negative, it can be easy to come up with automatic thoughts such as “I will never succeed in my life”, “I’ve disappointed my parents”, or “everyone is better than me”. And although it might feel like these thoughts are valid and very real at the time, most of these statements are contaminated with thinking errors.
One example of a thinking error is what’s known as “dichotomous thinking”. This happens when people perceive things in black or white terms – it’s either a success or a failure. There’s also “fortune telling”, this is expressed when people believe they know what is going to happen: “I will fail again.” Another type of thinking error is “catastrophising”, which is where you think the worst possible outcome will occur – so it might be something like: “If I fail the exams, I will be unemployed for the rest of my life.”
In these situations, it’s also easy to start “overgeneralising”, where you extend any conclusions you reach about one thing to cover everything. People do this by using absolute terms – “always” or “never” – such as: “Since I failed this exam, I will always fail in everything.” It’s common, too, for people to “discount the positives” and underestimate their strengths – thinking along the lines of: “The last time I did a good job was only because I was lucky.”
More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2018/08/a-levels-how-to-stop-stressing-over.html
