Nervous Breakdown...one after the other

PSedrishMD
Sat, 23 Oct 2004 11:38:17 +0000

Marc:
First of all, relax. Obviously you’ve done a lot of good work along the way and it will be rewarded. You will get into a fine school somewhere. Whether you have your sites set on school A, B or C, it will really make very little difference to you once you’ve enrolled. Assuming A, B & C are in the same academic stratum, there’s little chance you’ll be at any one of them and find yourself pining away for another.
More important is your recognition of the extreme anxiety this process is provoking in you. I would say this kind of reaction, if persistent, bodes badly for you down the road and that dealing with it is more important than selecting a college.
Life is bound to throw you tougher pitches than this, and sometimes rather regularly, and you need to be able to cope with them without losing your sanity.
I think perspective is the key. Imagine this present conundrum (selecting & being selected by a college) and compare it with truly serious issues, such as the health of a loved one or a tragedy such as 9/11.
This is going to turn out fine. A simple, workable answer about the SAT will become obvious to you. Don’t sweat it so much. Now go outside and play soccer or something.