What to Do When an Exam Doesn't Go Well 

Don’t panic: It sounds obvious, but it really is important not to panic once you leave the exam hall. Try to find somewhere quiet and calm down there for a while. Remember that it is only one exam in your whole educational career, and it's not the end of the world. 

Don't completely write the exam off: I think students have the tendency to assume the worst in their exam performance. However, you could be pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it was a particularly hard exam and thus will be marked more generously. 

Talk to other people: Talking to others can help you ascertain whether it was a paper that everyone found tricky or whether perhaps it was just you that had a bad day.  Nevertheless, if you know it went badly, talking to friends can still help. 

Think about your options: I think that no single exam is important enough to mean you've completely failed your degree. So, if one exam went badly, research your options. You may be able to resist the paper or the module. 

Value effort above outcome:  If you did the best you could then there was nothing more you could do. Results are not everything. It's important that if you truly feel that you did your best, you know that it is enough. 

Don't take it personally: Try to separate the failure from who you are.  Just because one exam went badly, doesn't mean you’re now a failure. Think of other things you’re good at and what you’ve achieved lately to avoid letting a bad exam knock your self-confidence. 

Don't dwell on it: There’s nothing you can do once the exam is over. While thinking about where can you can improve for next time is a good idea, try to resist the urge to overthink, and let it be. 

Have fun!: Taking a break from negative thinking will help you reset and focus on what’s really important. Talk to your friends, go to the cinema, just do whatever makes you happy and helps you unwind. 

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