I noticed that after every exam I take, I worry about my score. I start to make myself think that I must’ve screwed something up (especially on math tests) even after I looked over my answers multiple times before handing in the test. Does anyone else experience this?
I’m sure that lots of people do, especially if 1. the test is a decent component of the grade, 2. the person didn’t feel confident about their answers, and 3. the person is a perfectionist. You can’t do much about 1, but regarding 2, preparation is the best way to combat that factor.
And as for 3, I’ve found that 1. being in college for so many semesters has desensitized me to doing poorly on assignments. Many of my classes are curved, so a low raw score does not equate to doing poorly, and I’ve seen that I can do poorly and even fail a few assignments or an exam and still do well in the class. Things became a little easier mentally once I lost my 4.0 GPA, lol.
And 2. it helps to find balance in terms of thinking about exams after them. On the one hand, like I said, it’s pretty normal to worry about your grades. Obsessing about how something must be wrong with you because you’re worrying an abnormal amount is only going to make you more anxious. Don’t try to force yourself not to think about it, because that never works and might make the obsession worse. Accept it to some degree.
But on the other hand, it might be good to practice doing things post-exam to relax and get your mind off the experience. Journaling your worries might help; if you make yourself write for half an hour every day about the worst-case scenario with your grades (or, say, 50% more time than you think you need), you might yourself becoming less anxious about that scenario over time.
If this might be a part of a larger problem like obsessive-compulsive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder (i.e. if this worry is making you miserable and dysfunctional), it might be a good idea to seek professional help. Even if you don’t think you have a mental illness, talking to a counselor could definitely help. Many colleges have free counseling services.
It’s one of those things that seems like a very big deal at the time, but later is utterly meaningless.
One word answer: yes.
I have a tendency to obsess over grades because of a toxic form of my own perfectionism + particular graduate school ambitions. I’ve found that it is nice to “treat myself” after an exam; I usually will go out with friends (shopping, dinner, movies, etc.) after an exam to take my mind off of whether or not I should’ve put C or B for Question #17, LOL.