Exams. We all have them. We (most of us) fear them. The thought of exams actually makes me feel really sick right now. Fun fact: in 15 days I will be taken my first iGCSE and I feel completely underprepared even though I know I'm not. Other fun fact: I just remembered that my first actual exam (my Spanish oral) is in 7 days. FML.

Exams can be the source of massive amounts of stress in our lives, and it's easy to become overwhelmed and caught up in them. I look back to when I was eleven or twelve and laugh at how much I stressed about my end of year exams which meant nothing in the long run. And that is the way to look at exams- see them in perspective. At the end of the day, a bad exam result is not an end all.

But it is Ella? If I fail this subject, I won't be able to...

Let me stop you there. I will repeat myself, a bad exam result is not an end all. There have been countless successful people who have flunked exams (not condoning failing exams just putting things into perspective) so don't go into exams expecting that top grade because most of the time you will end up being severely disappointed.

If you're worried about your exams- do the work. Stop worrying and stressing and crying and watching YouTube videos- do revision. Study, learn, and most importantly turn off that phone! And the computer! And whatever may distract you.

It's very important to keep a level head in times where exams are looming so stop watching old vines and go to sleep. Vine is dead, your academic career is not (yet).

Don't sit for hours flipping over pages of your text book as the words start blurring in front of you. Do practice papers, write flash cards, test yourself. Watch educational YouTube videos (no dancing cats do not count as educational).

So rule eighteen of surviving Teenagehood: unfortunately you need to know more than the fact that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell to pass an exam.