I hate how everyone treats exams like this big drama. The school, your family and pretty much anyone you come into contact with tells you that your whole life depends on the marks you get. Even the man in the newsagents asked me if I was studying hard!

I always thought I was good under pressure and would be okay at managing exam stress, but even in Year 7 I was totally exhausted by the end of the year. I’ve since found out that it was exhaustion from stress. It’s not always obvious.

By the time I was in Year 12, I was pretty much stressed the whole time. Even though I loved the subjects I was studying, I couldn’t concentrate because I was in a constant state of fear. I got panic attacks and ended up sitting in the toilets, hoping I wouldn’t die. Even though we have counsellors at school, I was too terrified to tell anyone. I didn’t want to let people down.

Everything changed when one of the girls in my year had a breakdown and left halfway through the year. It really shocked me and I knew I had to do something or I’d end up like she did. So I talked to one of the school counsellors who spoke to my parents about managing exam stress and my general health. I was put on anti-anxiety medication. It stopped the panic and made it easier to concentrate. I started going to morning yoga at school as well.

I didn’t get the marks everyone expected me to, but I didn’t mind. People think they have to choose one university course and that if they don’t get into that course, it’s all over, but that’s just part of the hype. Not everyone gets their first choice and heaps of people switch courses, change to a different uni or drop out altogether. Plus, some people don’t even like their jobs when they graduate and end up changing careers anyway.

Not getting into my first choice of uni was a good thing. I actually felt free. I took a break, worked in a call centre, met different people, went travelling and then applied for a different combined course which I’m loving. The thing is that what happens in your exams is not the end of the world. It’s not even the world.