Academic Pressure

It is pressure that stops students from achieving the grades they want, not intelligence.

This is what my work as a tutor has led me to believe.

Thankfully, with the right approach, this pressure that prevents you can become the pressure that aids you. Making this happen is a skill, and is one that can and should be learnt in order to excel academically.  

So, let’s begin the process of dealing with academic pressure. Here’s 3 initial steps:

Number one. OWN IT!

Do you feel pressure? Are you stressed?

I wonder whether you’ve asked yourself these questions. Of course, there is always, at the least, a persistent nagging feeling of stress when at university, but it is rare that this feeling is explored, and it is even rarer that we understand and accept this feeling as pressure.

You might be one of the ones who is happy to say this, but for the vast majority, it isn’t.

Instead, students might have internalised the idea that university is ‘easy’, that it is a way of gaining experience in preparation for the ‘real world’, or even that it’s just a period for self-discovery. While there is some truth in all of these perceptions of university, academic work is also just stressful and difficult.

All that being said, the simple truth is that, of course, you are under pressure at university. This is key function of academia, and is one of the ways that it urges your development. So, please do accept that you feel and deal with pressure when you’re at university. This is the first step.

Accepting this will begin the process of reframing your mindset with regards to assessments and outcomes, and will allow you to utilise stress and pressure in order to thrive.  

Number two. Do the Thing.

Once that’s the done. I’d then like you to ask yourself the following questions:

Is it very common for excellent performance to arise without preparation? Is it common for jobs to require zero experience? Is there a sport where players never train and excel on game day? Is there any activity in the world that only requires you to do the thing once to get better at it?

What I’m saying here is that in order to get better at academic assessments, you need to practice doing them.

Somehow, this truth escaped me while at university. Instead of watching videos, reading and making notes, and having pseudo-productive conversations about essay writing or assessments, I should’ve just been writing essays.

If your assessment is a written exam containing 3 essay questions, then prepare for that assessment by taking written exams that contain 3 essay questions.

If the assessment requires you to complete the assessment in 3 hours, then practice writing 3 essay questions in 3 hours.

It is this simple, and incredibly effective.

Now, at this point, let me be clear: it is easier said, than done. However, there is a way to get it done nonetheless, and this is what number three talks about.

Number Three. Start small. 

For those with phobias, exposure therapy begins not with facing the full manifestation of their fear, but with controlled exposure to it. This might take the form of a photograph, a word, or a sound, and will definitely not be the thing in and of itself.

This is the same with pressurised exams. There are ways to confront this slowly, so that you have the opportunity to build moment as you move through academia.

This is a big part of what I do in my work. I identify and then present the various ways you can practice for the thing that you will actually be assessed on.

And for good luck – number four. Keep GOING!

“Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Aristotle said it much better than I could here. Once you’ve begun the process of working on your academic performance, do not stop. This does not mean – don’t rest. But it does mean – don’t give up.

If you do the practice right, you will get stung by the outcome. In order to perform effectively, you will need to learn how to approach and respond to failure in order to improve. This is no different with pressurised assessment. So, set yourself small manageable activities that directly map to the assessment you’re preparing for.

That is how you conquer academic pressure, and conquer it you will.

Conclusion

If you’d like to learn more about the practical implementation of these 3 steps, then please do get in touch and we can continue the conversation. Otherwise, get to it. Take a deep breath, start small, and don't stop.

All the best -

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