Alex's Answer

Hi there and welcome to Ask Alex. 

It sounds like you have a lot going on for you at the moment so thank you for getting in touch.  We understand that it can be difficult to talk about how your feeling, especially when you are feeling really stressed. 

From what you’re saying, it sounds like you are stressed due to your upcoming mocks and exams, does that sound right? 

Exams can be very stressful for a lot of people so it’s understandable that you may be feeling overwhelmed right now. It’s okay to feel like this as school can be a difficult time when you’re trying to juggle things, but remembering to be kind to yourself is very important in these tough times. 

It’s important that you feel prepared and ready for exams; there are some tips on homework and revision that you might find useful which can be found here: https://www.childline.ie/education-and-work/ 

You say that it’s hard for you to learn new things and takes a long time to study. Would you be able to speak to a teacher to let them know how you are feeling?  Perhaps there’s someone in school that could help you make a study timetable, that will give you some structure and help organise homework and study. 

Have you been able to speak to an adult you trust about how you are feeling?  Sharing this with a parent, relative or youth worker can be really helpful and they can help with problem solving. 

As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to look after yourself.  Make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating healthily, and having time to relax and de-stress too as if we don’t, this can make it more difficult to concentrate and study. 

You could also contact us at Childline to chat about what is going on for you, by phone on Free Phone 1800 666666 or live chat on https://www.childline.ie/.  The service is a non-judgemental listening service, and we would love to hear more about what’s going on for you. 

Take care,  

Alex