Online Reporter
ONE of the most common things students do after an exam is to rush outside and start revising or discussing answers with friends. While this may seem harmless or even helpful, it often leads to more harm than good. Let’s talk about why this habit can be dangerous and emotionally draining — and what you should do instead.
1. Creates unnecessary stress and panic
You walk out of the exam room feeling confident. Then your friend says, “For number 5, the answer was this,” and it’s different from what you wrote. Suddenly, your confidence is gone. You start to doubt yourself, feel anxious and even lose motivation for the next paper.
You can’t change the answer once the paper is handed in. Worrying about it won’t help. It will only weaken your focus for the upcoming exams.
2. Destroys confidence
Sometimes your answer is actually correct — but because a friend sounds more confident (even if they’re wrong), you start to believe you failed. You carry that doubt into the next exam and perform poorly, not because you didn’t know, but because your confidence was shaken.
3. Creates division and arguments
These discussions often turn into debates:
“No, the answer was B!”
“No, I’m sure it was A!”
Soon it becomes a loud argument, with everyone defending their answers — causing confusion, anger and tension among friends.
4. It wastes time
Instead of focusing your energy on preparing for the next paper, you waste precious minutes or even hours going over something you can no longer change. The next exam is what matters now.
5. May spread wrong information
Many students give answers based on guesses. So, when you revise with them, you’re absorbing possibly wrong information, which can affect your understanding and how you approach similar questions in the next paper.
So, what should you do after the exam?
n Walk out with peace, knowing you gave your best.
n Avoid joining big discussion groups right after the exam.
n Take a break. Eat. Drink water. Rest your mind.
n Focus on the next subject. Open your book and prepare.
n If you must discuss, do it after all exams are over.
Exams are like a race — you don’t stop and look back after every lap. Keep running until the finish line. Learn to protect your peace of mind. Don’t let one paper spoil your mindset for the others.
Stay focused. Stay calm. And remember, once the paper is done, it’s done. Prepare for what’s ahead.
Dr Manners Msongelwa is an author, teacher and youth coach. He can be contacted on +263 771 019 392
