5 Ways to Cope with Grade Repetition Stress

So, Choma, a new school/college year has started and all your friends around you are excited about passing, but you feel like your world is crashing down on you because you have to repeat a school/college year. Repeating a grade or year at school or college can be stressful and discouraging but it’s important to stay focused and stay positive. Here are tips to get you through the year.

Remember, you’re not a failure

I understand that failing at something can make you feel depressed about it, or like you’re worthless. Yes, failure happens to everyone at some point in life Choma, but one moment of failure doesn’t define your whole life. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Just like Oprah Winfrey says, “A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”

Reach out for help

Just like with anything else that’s hard to deal with in life, it’s usually the people you love and trust around you that will help you through it. However, I understand that feeling embarrassed over having to repeat a grade can hold you back from asking for help. Whether it’s from teachers, family or friends, you should look at the people you have around you and find out how they can help you. For example, one of your teachers will probably be willing to help you with extra lessons on a subject after school, and someone in your family or one of your friends might be able to help you with putting together a study schedule so you can balance your school life and social life a bit better. Or they could just be there to hear how you’re feeling, so that you’re not going through this alone Choma. People that care about you will always be willing to help you, as long as you reach out to them for help. Here are two great helplines that offer counselling if you need it:

SADAG Mental Health Line - 011 234 4837

Destiny Helpline for Youth & Students - 0800 41 42 43

Look at it as a second chance

Sometimes, your educator might recognise that you could be doing a whole lot better in a specific subject and wants to give you the opportunity to try again and get the results that you can get when you’re giving it your all. Looking at this as a second chance means that you’re able to look back on all the things that might have distracted you from doing your best before. Was it your friends? Was it your life at home? Was there just a lot on your mind?

Make your school work a priority

You need to know what’s important in life, Choma, and this means you’ll have to make some tough choices. Friends are great to have around us often but when they are getting in the way of school it definitely becomes a big problem. Have a conversation with them about how you want to prioritise your studies and if they really are your friends, they will understand and support you through your studies. Prioritising your school work could also mean making small changes to your daily plan that allow you to focus better. Like getting more sleep, eating healthier, and even getting some exercise.

Focus on the future

Now that you know what was in your way last year, you can set goals and manage your time a whole lot better so you can avoid those roadblocks. Even though you can’t control everything in life, you can control how you deal with things and how you respond, and the best way to do that begins with a positive attitude.

Choma, the secret ingredient to success and hard work is firstly believing that you can achieve what you want. This doesn’t mean that everything will suddenly become easy, but it means that no matter what, you’ll always work your best to achieve what you want because you believe in yourself. You’re smarter than you think. I hope this helps you or a friend who might be going through this.

Remember Choma, if you or a friend need advice or help, you can contact me here on Ask Choma, send me a Facebook Message, a Twitter DM, or a WhatsApp Message (071 172 3657)