Fun fact: Albert Einstein was quite terrible at language. Not the opening sentence you expected to see, is it? However, even great minds and math whizzes have had their fair share of failures, and for Einstein, language was a pain in the neck.
We’ve all flunked an exam or two at some point in our lives: from a really important exam, to an insignificant practice test. Regardless of how important the exam is, the feeling of sadness and shame that comes each time we see a bad grade is second to none.
Failure really does a number on our confidence and zeal to study. For instance, if you failed an essay writing test, you may start to believe that you’re a terrible essay writer and you’d never want to write another essay again.
However, it is important to note that failure is perfectly normal in life and learning. The only difference is how you handle it. So, how can you handle it the right way? Let’s find out.
Depression and Motivation
Depression and motivation actually work hand-in-hand. In most cases, failing an exam causes students to fall into depression. Once this happens, there would be no motivation to study anymore.
If you’ve ever flunked an exam, you can attest to the obvious lack of motivation that follows after. In fact, tons of negative questions may race through your mind no matter how hard you try to stop it. What if I fail again? Why should I even study when I would only fail like I did before?
If you can’t find your motivation to study anymore, this article would help you get back on your feet.
How to Feel the Inner Motivation Again
Are you feeling depressed because you flunked an exam? Not sure how to find motivation to study again?
Here are some tips to help you snap back and stand on your feet again.
Talk about it
Bottling things up has never been a great option – unless you’re bottling up water. Even though it may seem hard or practically impossible, it’s important to talk to your close friends and family about how you’re feeling.
The support of your loved ones will give you all the motivation you need and help you pull through tough times. Your teachers could equally offer a helping hand if you need to talk to an expert.
However, if you aren’t comfortable with talking about the situation with people you know, you could join online student forums. Here, students who have gone or are going through the same issue could share their stories and help motivate you.
Weigh Your Options
What’s your next step? When it comes to exam failure or any kind of failure at all, it is important to avoid wallowing in the situation. Wallowing would only cause you to sink further into depression and you definitely don’t want that.
You have to weigh your options and decide which step you want to go with. Can you rewrite the exam?
Can you improve your performance in other subjects to make up for it?
Explore all the options available to you, weigh them and choose one that suits you. If you aren’t sure which option to take, you could always ask someone else for advice.
Retaking the exam? You can easily get a study guide to help you ace it. For instance, if you’re retaking an essay exam, you can Google questions like: “how can I write my essay?” to get opinions and guidance from experts.
Set a Goal and a Reward
Trying to stay motivated? Set a goal. Not only will it give you something to look forward to, it’d also help you strive to do better.
For instance, tons of people feel more motivated to work out when they set a weight target or goal. This just goes to show that setting milestones can boost anyone’s motivation.
For you, your goal may be to achieve X hours of study at the end of the semester. To achieve this, you’d have to study for Y hours every day. Easy Peasy!
To further boost your motivation, you could set up a reward system or incentive. Your reward could be getting yourself that dress you’ve been dreaming about or treating yourself to lunch at your favourite restaurant.
Put the Past Behind You
Still thinking about the failed exam? It’s time to stop thinking about it and let it go completely. Most times, failing school depression lingers because you keep thinking about your grades.
Now that you have talked to your loved ones and set a goal for yourself, there’s no need to cry over spilt milk. Instead, focus your energy on getting it right the next time.
Listen to Motivational Podcasts
Sometimes, even your goals and support from your loved ones may not be enough to keep you motivated. If this is the case, you may need to find motivation elsewhere and motivational podcasts are a great way to start.
Thankfully, there are tons of podcasts on the Internet that would push you to do better and achieve your goals.
You could also try out humorous podcasts to lift your spirits and put you in the right mood.
Focus on Yourself
Here’s the thing: you might be faced with a lot of educational pressure coming from different angles. It could be from your parents, teachers or even your friends.
Regardless of where the pressure is coming from, it’s important to remember that you call the shots. Do not drown under the expectations and aspirations of people around you.
Simply focus on your dream and set the bar as high as you want to.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, it’s hard to stay motivated after failing an exam. It’s even harder to snap out of depression and go back to being who you were before you saw your grades.
However, it’s important to note that it isn’t the end of the world. You can dust yourself off and get it right again.
Remember that even great minds like Albert Einstein and Bill Gates experienced failure too at some points in their lives. If they could still become successful, who says you can’t?
