Feeling stressed and lost

Ask a Therapist Coping
1

I’m currently in my final year of poly with a decent/good GPA (3.8). I know what I want to do in uni and am in the midst of applying for a scholarship. However, I have been feeling really stressed, unsure and lost about how I should go about filling it out, trying to ensure the highest chance possible. I am also having a lot of what-ifs since I only want one course at one uni and am not considering going overseas. For context, I am considering an allied health course, which I am unsure if I can get into due to health reasons as well. With many uncertainties and stressors from other parts of life, I’ve been losing sleep over this, as well as having nightmares due to stress recently. On top of these, my O-level English does not currently meet the minimum requirement, and I will have to sit for an English exam before being able to go to uni. Due to my negative experience in sec sch I feel that I’m incapable of doing another test, not just the inability to do so, but more of a mental block about how bad sec sch and O-levels were for me, as well as being someone with a learning disability.

In general, I’m someone who overthinks a lot and thinks negatively, and the recent big decisions have been stressing me out even more than usual, and it’s starting to affect me a lot.

I just need some reassurance, guidance, and sharing of experiences to help me out. I’ve been panicking and procrastinating and am at a loss on how I can proceed.

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Hi @Iyori,

Thank you for reaching out. A 3.8 GPA in your final year is genuinely something to be proud of and it shows how your hard work is paying off!

I can see that you’re feeling overwhelmed as you’re not just dealing with one stressor but several layered on top of each other. The nightmares and lost sleep are your body telling you that you’re experiencing a lot of stress right now.

On the scholarship application, procrastination under pressure is common when the stakes feel impossibly high. Sometimes it helps to shrink the task, for instance, not just filling out the scholarship application but maybe writing two sentences about why you’d want this course today. Small movement beats being stuck at the same spot.

The health concerns around the allied health course, is that something you’ve been able to discuss with anyone at the course or university directly? Sometimes getting clarity on what the actual requirements are can be less scary than the uncertainty of not knowing.

Wishing you all the best in this new adventure!