The ticking of the clock, the churning of the stomach, and the anticipated wait till the invigilator says “Begin”. 

These are familiar feelings every student will feel before a test or an exam. Whether you come from an exam-oriented society like South Korea or Singapore, or a country that prioritises on defying the conventional realm of test-taking, examinations seem to be part of every student’s life. Throughout my experience doing the IB, I had been the most paranoid exam taker. I had the worst test anxiety, and during my lead up to prelims, the stress accumulated to the point where I felt extremely burnt out. With probably two to four weeks left to prelims, instead of giving our usual studying tips and sessions, we want to take a different approach, and offer words of encouragement.

1. Prelims are Just a Checkpoint

Yes, Prelims may seem like the definitive feat for those that are intending to apply early towards universities. Though worrying and cumbersome, don’t let the ‘need to apply early’ get to you.

Instead, channel your energy and use it as a guiding point. It’s just like a compass. Am I going in the right direction? Am I going off tangent in the lead up to my examinations? Am I doing the best I can?With the right mentality in mind, treat your prelims as a ‘real life exam’, but even if you falter, know that there is a safety net involved at the end of the day.In terms of university applications, universities actually take into account the entire two year performance throughout the program, and also your teacher’s predicted grades for you during the submission of your application. (FYI: Teachers submit their predicted grades of what they assume you’ll get. This is based on their assessment of the academic performance throughout the two years).Some schools choose to disclose this to their students as they need it for their applications, however, some do not as they do not want to let their students down or allow any form of complacency in them. Instead, inform your university counsellor about the schools you are intending to apply to, and provide them with a range of scores you require for the IBDP to hit your aspirated university’s threshold. 

2. It’s Okay To Fail

For those who come from a school where grade deflation (schools that tend to cap the number of students to get A’s or 7’s at a maximum percentage as it is graded at a bell curve) is real, some IB schools elevate the standards of their exams and assessment as a ‘scare tactic’ for students.If you are in one of these schools, fret not, because the low grades you attain from your prelims can turn your discouragement into motivation. As humans, sometimes we need to trigger our brain glands to trigger adrenaline within us so that we face reality and a wake up call. 

Even if that means doing badly, it’s not too late to play catchup. Here at IB Lounge, we just want you to know that we used to be IB students too, so it’s okay to feel as if the world is crashing down on you. However, it’s entirely possible to navigate the course of your work by doing the “last minute” ‘oh-no-time-to-buck-up’ kind of thing.

This means going for extra consultations with your teachers, clarifying your misconceptions, asking your friends for notes, creating studying sessions, going for night studies, the list is just endless. These days, there’s tons of resources available for help especially for IB students, but it’s finding your WHY and your REASON for doing this which will fuel you through gruesome revision sessions.

You just have to acknowledge the situation you’re in, know that you’ve hit rock bottom, and the only way is up, up, and up. Sometimes help is readily available to you be it through your friends, parents, teachers, or even us but having the humility and courage to ask is another thing.

3. Things Do Get Better…. Only If You See Them As It Is

The last point we want to bring is that things do get better. Preliminary exams may seem like an impediment to your progress in the IB, but more often than not, it’s a stepping stone to what you can possibly achieve in the future. 

Do well, and don’t get complacent.

Do badly, and find ways to reboot yourself.

Life’s never about enjoying only the highs, but sometimes also embracing the struggles in your lows.