Coping with failing an exam

Hi
I'm studying criminology at uni and tomorrow I have an exam, math, statistics, stuff I'm terrible at.
The powerpointslides (we don't have a book) are horrible, there are mistakes on them, things that just aren't right, it's very confusing. So I learned the stuff by making the exercises we made in class, and most of them I can do right, a couple of them I can't figure out.

This year is sooooo important to me, I've been wanting to do this since i was 15 and i'm 22 now (i already have a degree from business/law), but still, it's what I dream of doing.

Now I'm kinda sure that I'll fail the exam tomorrow, which will do me no good, since I have 3 more exams to do after that which will be quite hard too, since I only have 2 days to study for them.

I don't know what answers I expect, cheering up, I don't know, it's like...if I fail this exam, I'll fail the others too, I'll have too many retakes in august and I'll never have this degree. It just brings me down.

Oh, and let's not forget about the stress which is making me feel dizzy, weak, can't eat and I feel like crying all the time :/

Good luck today! One thing I remember is that if I am having trouble (and you already have a degree so you're an old hand at school/studying) then almost everyone else is probably having the same trouble! My husband is a genius and an electrical engineer and tells stories of hard classes where he was getting a "C" but was in the top of the class!

My first degree was in sociology (they didn't have criminology yet back then, just a single "new" class :-) and I remember the statistics and research methods classes we had to take and I got a "D" in statistics and only a "C" in research methods (which required computer programs, also no "computers" yet (1971); I had to get a dorm friend to do that portion for me so I could get the info I needed from the computer database but even the results were over my head as far as interpreting in my project; all the Greek letters/statistics :-) My point is that I'm sure you'll at least pass

Lol, it wasn't as hopeless as I thought it would be, so just passed it or just failed it. Let's hope she's in a good mood and doesn't faill me ^^

I've had to learn to let go of result until I get them. If I worry to much it ruins my day or week. I prepare as well as I can, go in and write as well as I can, and trust that will be enough. Whatever mark I get when it's marked cannot be controlled by worrying after writing. If it a good mark I can celebrate, if it's not, I can change my study habits for the following exam.

One of the things I have found is that the first test (or the first quiz) is always a surprise, because I don't know how the professor is going to ask the questions. I usually don't do as well on the first test or quiz. The following tests and quizzes I do better because I already know how to study for what the professor deems important.

Please, please, tell the professor you are confused by mistakes on the power points, OR print the power points out and then either ask the professor to go through them with you so that you can manually correct the errors, or get with the smartest student willing to help you and manually correct the errors. It irks me no end that professors want to teach from power points and then don't make sure they are correct.

Next, realize that just because you don't have a text, doesn't mean there are not additional readings out 'there' (at the library, through the internet) that you could read on your own that will help your understanding. A friend of mine helped me find a wealth of math websites; I've also gotten extra books out of the library for various subjects. You don't need to read EVERYTHING from these books; but you might find that an explanation here or there is better in an alternate text. Ask your professor for guidance on supplemental reading.

Talk to your professor! I think professors need to know when their students don't get stuff, and many professors like knowing when they have a student with a real interest in the material.

Relax as best you can; I find I understand more of what I hear and read if I get enough sleep and if I encourage myself to relax. Courage! I send you many good wishes for success!