We have sets of exams twice a year every year. These exams help decide our final mark, and if your mark is already low it can cause you to fail. On top of that, during the couple weeks we start studying for exams we have summatives due and any other assignments on the side. These are the most anxiety ridden weeks of the year. The amount of anxiety we get from failure can cause sleep deprivation and extreme unhappiness due to the fact that we are so stressed about studying. We stop indulging in normal activities and completely throw ourselves out of routine. Personally, I have a history of only catching about 2-3 hours of sleep around this time of year because it stresses me out so much. The biggest thing some teachers have to consider, is that giving us too much work around this time and pushing our limits can cause us great distress. This distress can either cause us to do our very best, or to overwhelm us to the point of failure.
http://blogs.voanews.com/student-union/files/2012/05/seb-graph1.jpg (Time distribution graph during exams)
http://blogs.voanews.com/student-union/files/2012/05/seb-graph4.jpg (sleep deprivation and amount of exam material absorbed)
http://blogs.voanews.com/student-union/files/2012/05/seb-graph1.jpg (Time distribution graph during exams)
http://blogs.voanews.com/student-union/files/2012/05/seb-graph4.jpg (sleep deprivation and amount of exam material absorbed)