Stage 3 · Lesson 5 of 7
Focus on what you can control
Under pressure, people spend huge energy on things they cannot change: the cut-off marks, the economy, whether a recruiter replies. A simple exercise helps. Draw three circles.
In the inner one, write what you control: how you prepare, how many applications you send, how you treat yourself. In the middle, what you can influence: asking for feedback, asking a senior for advice. In the outer one, what you cannot control: other people's decisions, the job market.
Put your energy into the inner circle and some into the middle one. For the outer circle, notice the worry, name it, and let it be there without acting on it.
Common trapthinking that letting go of the outer circle means you do not care. It means you are spending your energy where it can work.
A question to check yourself and an AI practice session come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- CourseFreeLearning How to Learn (Coursera)
Deep Teaching Solutions on Coursera · Beginner
Study methods that work, such as spaced practice and self-testing, so revision feels less frantic
- VideoFreeWhy We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid (Guy Winch, TEDxLinnaeusUniversity)
Guy Winch (TEDxLinnaeusUniversity)
Why rejection and failure hurt, and how to treat them like an injury
Practise
Keep handy
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).