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Comment by commandlinefan | Hacker News Reader

That's what my (junior in high school) son keeps saying when he makes simple arithmetic errors that cost him points on tests. I disagree, actually - these mistakes are made by lack of practice. If you've practiced solving enough integrals, it doesn't really matter how tired you are, you're going to get the right answer just as you won't read words incorrectly if you're tired.

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I read words incorrectly when I'm tired. Is this abnormal?

At the least, you're not alone.

Stress/pressure has an effect on your performance for sure. In high school I didn't have many problems but at University I found I would often choke during exams despite knowing the material and being well prepared.

I would get extremely nervous in the lead up to my university exams, I'd have difficulty falling asleep the night before, I'd be tossing and turning all night going over everything in my head and I'd feel anxious and sick (my stomach would be incredibly queasy) to the point I'd have trouble eating anything in the morning. So I'd go into my exams tired and irritable (because I hadn't eaten much) and I'd make stupid mistakes.

Eventually I got over this but it took me a year or two and it definitely had an effect on my grades.

Sorry, but this is absolutely wrong and potentially harmful to your son if you eventually convince him. It is absolutely possible and not that uncommon for a neurotic person's mind to go blank when under considerable stress, at the point of forgetting otherwise completely trivial information.

I urge you to not dismiss your son's complaints but to instead investigate them further, preferably with the help of a professional therapist, to save him from the possibility of escalation of his problem.

Which is it? Stress? Or tiredness? Both?

Capacity to deal with either actually grows over time, you know that?

Absolutely. Its a lesson hard learned if the problem reaches the undergrad level.

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