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The Day (Or Two) After The PE Exam
- By Blake
- On August 28, 2017
The days after the PE exam can be an emotional roller coaster. You have the elation and mental release of having the weight of the exam off your shoulders as well as processing how you performed and worrying about whether or not you passed.
Understanding the natural mental and emotional processes in the aftermath of a big event such as the PE exam helps to keep things in perspective.
1: Do Something Fun After the PE Exam
The day or two after the exam are glorious in a number of ways. The test is usually on a Friday, so that weekend is a great time to do something relaxing and fun after months of rigorous studying and having the weight of the upcoming exam on your shoulders.
It’s a great time because no matter what, pass or fail, you are in a moment of time where you don’t need to be studying. There is no reason to pick up the books, nothing that you “should” be doing with regard to the exam. You have prepared as well as you can and have taken the test. There’s nothing else for you to do in these moments but relax and enjoy yourself.
It’s important enjoy yourself during this time!
If you’re a Type A person like me, treating yourself and taking a break from the grind doesn’t come easily. Always in the back of my mind is the nagging feeling of guilt that I should be doing some work to better myself. Rarely do I get the opportunity to put everything down and just relax and rest. The weekend after taking the PE exam is the perfect time to do just that.
2: Give Yourself Time to Process The Exam
You just went through a long, arduous process and you’ll likely need time to process the exam. Your mind will want to evaluate how you did, if you think you passed, what you did well on and what you struggled with. You’ll need time to mentally prepare yourself in the case you passed or give some thought to the possibility that you failed. This is a normal process and I encourage you to let it happen. Recognizing that this is normal to do after the test helps keep things in perspective.
3: Control Your Thoughts
No matter how well you actually did on the exam, you’ll almost certainly be beating yourself up about things that you think you got wrong or worrying about your answers on certain questions. You’ll likely feel that you could have done better and may feel nervous about whether or not you passed the test.
This is normal!
The fact that you are having this anxiety after the test does not mean that you failed. The PE exam is a difficult test and it makes sense that you don’t come out of the test feeling like you kicked it’s ass. No one really does that, and if they do, I argue that it’s more of a red flag that they did poorly on the test rather than did really well. It’s like the kid in college that finishes his test 20 minutes before everyone else. He either did really well or did really badly and usually it’s really badly.
You won’t know the results for weeks, so there is no point in stressing about it during that time. Control your thoughts and emotions if you are worried about the results. Just like dealing with test anxiety you can use techniques to reign in your thoughts and feelings before they spin out of control.
4: After The PE Exam – Final Thoughts
Knowing what to expect when it comes to your thoughts and emotions after something so important as the PE exam helps to make the process easier. Enjoy the time you have after the PE exam to enjoy life in ways you haven’t while studying.
