January exams should be banned

January exams are well and truly over and (fingers crossed) we have all survived unscathed.  However, now that the nightmare is behind us, I can’t help but wonder why we put ourselves through so much stress. It’s cold, we’re miserable and Christmas and New Year’s is pretty much ruined.

Stressing our lives away

The worst kind of stress

One of the worst things about January exams is the fact that it means we start the new year stressing. Doomed to fail and unsure of how to rectify the situation we’re forced to either (a) eat away our problems or (b) convince ourselves that somehow (like first year) it doesn’t really count. It’s a vicious cycle.

A study found that the number of students being treated for stress related depression increases every new year – a direct result of the reduction in funding which has left universities struggling to cope with the increasing numbers of students seeking support.

Having exams so early on in the year places an unnecessary burden on students. We’re faced with the prospect of failure for what is perhaps the first time and, with so much at stake, is it any wonder so many of use are left feeling overwhelmed?

Christmas? What’s that?

Bon Apetit!

Remember the days when you could actually enjoy Christmas?  There were no exams to prepare for and you were free, free as a bird. January exams have ruined Christmas. What was once a lovely stress free holiday has since become a real pain.

You find yourself constantly wrestling with guilt (you want to ransack the Boxing Day sales but then again you have a 5,000 word essay waiting for you at home) and you’re left feeling irritated by those around you who all seem so happy and carefree. It’s time for us to reclaim Christmas, especially as we don’t have much of a childhood left.

Oh and with Christmas comes the cold and, given the fact that we are forced to trek up and down a hilly campus, it’s hardly surprising that gloomy weather conditions do little to lighten the mood.

One step closer to Graduation 

Right round the corner…

January exams are also a stark reminder that graduation is just around the corner. We remember what we came to uni for and enter into panic mode. Many will claim to have done “no revision whatsoever” (lies) whilst others will simply accept their inevitable failure.

It’s worrying that we place so much emphasis on exams, especially since when things go wrong we can easily find ourselves stuck.

January exams should be banned, or at least given less weight for the sanity and peace of mind of us all.