As the DSE results release date is approaching, have you ever felt nervous, worried, panicked, or frightened? Students are concerned about their test results and may feel anxious when thinking about their prospects, as the choices and changes they are going to encounter may significantly impact their future. If students can adequately understand and deal with their anxiety, it will help them maintain good well-being to face the coming new stages and challenges.
These feelings of anxiety may stem from students’ negative thoughts about open examinations and results. For example, students may catastrophize their exam results, worrying that they will not be able to get into the university if they fail to achieve the expected results, and their future will be ruined. Or they may keep thinking about the situation on the day of the HKDSE, feeling that they did not do well in the exam, blaming themselves for not performing well, and worrying that they will lose their qualifications to enter their favorite subjects. Some students may be unclear about their interests and skills, feel struggle to plan for their future paths, and are worried about unable to find a course and career that suits them. Our body will also appear differently under various anxious emotions. Symptoms include heart palpitations, difficult in breathing, tension headaches, frequent urination, stomach pain, abdominal pain, and insomnia. Long-term anxiety may worsen into anxiety disorders and depression.
It is not easy to coexist with anxiety. Students may feel highly anxious before results are released. So, what can we do to relieve these emotions? Students can refer to the following tips to deal with various worries and anxiety before the results are released:
1. Write down a plan in advance
Before the results are released, students should plan for further study pathways as early as possible and collect relevant information. Students can simulate various results and release situations in advance, such as scores higher or lower than expected, and then record corresponding options for further education and employment. When you have clear information and plans in hand, you can be mentally prepared to deal with it even if your results are not as expected, thus you can better manage the feeling of anxiety.
2. Take care of yourself
When you feel anxious, remind yourself that you have already planned everything. No matter how worry you are, it will not help. Therefore, students should arrange their schedule for adequate sleep and a proper diet instead of worrying. You can also focus on activities that you enjoy and temporarily stay away from anxiety to make yourself feel more comfortable.
3. Talk to someone you trust
Sometimes, when people express their worries to others, their anxiety can be relieved. Students can talk to trusted family members, friends or professionals about their stress and worries before the results are released, and also listen to the experience and opinions from other people.
DSE is one of the milestones in our lives, but it is not everything. Feeling anxious before the release of the results is a normal reaction. Having anxious feeling does not mean suffering from anxiety disorder. However, if the feeling of anxious has been present for a long time, is growing stronger, and seriously affects your daily life, remember to seek help from professionals around you.