Brazilian exam hopefuls urged to balance discipline with mental health

A Brazilian public‑service candidate recounts how a failed attempt at the Tribunal Regional Federal (TRF 2) exam in 2016 became the foundation for passing six subsequent contests, including positions at the Tribunal de Justiça of São Paulo and the Superior Tribunal de Justiça. He credits the intensive, disciplined preparation—financial, mental, physical, and temporal—despite the initial disappointment, and stresses that each study cycle builds lasting skills such as reasoning, emotional resilience and exam technique.

Psychologist Gabriela Rudnik adds seven practical tips for students preparing for the university entrance exam (vestibular) and the ENEM, where more than 1.3 million public‑school students registered for the 2025 test. She urges candidates to start with self‑knowledge, design sustainable routines, separate academic performance from personal worth, prioritize quality study over sheer hours, begin without waiting for motivation, focus on consistent habits rather than perfection, and treat rest as an essential component of preparation. Both perspectives highlight that steady discipline and mental‑health safeguards are more decisive than occasional bursts of motivation for exam success in Brazil.