By Samira, 16

If you’re 16 and living in the UK, chances are you’re either sitting your GCSEs or stressing yourself about them. For most of us, these exams aren’t just tests. They feel like they are make-or-break moments.

That’s a lot for anyone to carry, especially when you’re figuring out who you are.

Like loads of other young people, I’ve spent the past few months living in revision mode. Wake up, school, revise, eat, sleep. Repeat. It doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

The pressure is constant. Teachers talk about targets, grades, and future pathways. Parents mean well, but when they ask, “Have you revised today?” it just adds to the stress.

Everyone says these exams “open doors,” but no one talks about how overwhelming it can be to have your future feel like it’s riding on a few letters on a results sheet.

You start to compare yourself to others. You worry if you’re good enough. Social media makes it worse: seeing others say they’ve done ten hours of revision when you barely managed two can feel like a punch in the gut.

People often forget we’re not just students, we’re people. We’re dealing with friendships, family problems and our mental health.

We’re also trying to enjoy what’s meant to be the ‘best years of our lives,’ but with all this pressure, it doesn’t always feel like it.

What would help is more honesty from adults about how it’s okay not to be perfect. There needs to be better support for mental health in schools, so we can cope better with the pressure.

Most importantly, there needs to be a reminder that one set of exams doesn’t define who we are or what we’re capable of. 

We need space to breathe, to be young, and the support to realise we’re more than just our grades. GCSEs matter, but so does our well-being.

This story was written by young people as part of the Headliners Young Journalist programme. This project was made possible by the Million Hours Fund.