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Dear Therapist: I'm anxious about my entrance exam

I have been preparing for the CAT entrance exam for a while now but the thought of not getting into my dream university leaves me extremely anxious. What would I do if I don’t score well? What if I waste my parents’ money by failing? This makes me procrastinate my studies and I end up doing nothing. Can you please help me overcome it? — Prisha J

  • Prateeksha Shetty
  • Updated: Thu 14 Oct 2021, 11:10 PM

Dear Writer, changes in life can seem daunting at times and we may be petrified to respond or prepare for it. That being said, they are worth going after as they help you flourish and do the best for yourself and others. Your worries and fears about writing the CAT exam are perfectly valid. There are always chance factors that we, as human beings, can never prepare for. What we can, however, do is to try our best and focus on things that are within our control. In your case, your scores in the exam are partly under your control, depending on preparation and level of difficulty in exam. Therefore, the only thing you can control is to prepare for it in the best way. Procrastinating efforts required will worsen your fears and may in fact become a self-fulfilling prophecy, where you make your fears come true!


Along with the preparation, I recommend that you work on your well-being by making sure that you relax, use social support and develop strategies to overcome your anxiety. Techniques like guided visualisation exercises and mindfulness can help you learn to just be and work in the given moment. Building a schedule that balances both work and leisure will also improve your productivity. It can also help you tolerate uncertainties in life and coach you to become more confident in your abilities.

(Got a query about mental health? Email us on wknd@khaleejtimes.com)



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