Anayat Mohan: From Panic to Perfection

Anayat Mohan shares about how she changed her thinking around study habits.

I remember the first math test of the school year. A new teacher, a new concept, a new grade and pure panic. For days, I studied relentlessly, not because I lacked the knowledge, but because of dread. Negative thoughts spiraled in my head. What if I fail? What if I have the lowest grade in the class? These what-ifs clouded my head, causing me to panic even more.

The day of the test, my stomach was churning. I slowly wrote out each step and solved it, but internally, I was panicking. When I got the test back, I didn’t have to flip the page to see how many red marks there were. A 77 out of 100. A C on the first test. My heart sank. All the effort I put into this was gone. I was crushed.

The next test, I decided I wasn’t going to let one grade define me. I was going to capitalize on that setback. I first wanted to get rid of that panic, so I tried to filter all my negative thoughts and turn them into positive ones. Instead of thinking, “What if I fail?”, I thought, “What if I pass?”

These positive thoughts motivated me to transform my study habits. Positivity gave me the clarity to work smarter, not harder. Slowly, my panic subsided, and my confidence grew. When I took the next test, I was more composed and calmer while answering questions. I got an 85 on that test. Though it was not perfect, the experience proved that improvement and growth can’t be rushed. I became more active while studying, and my grades increased. 

The 85 became a 92, and eventually, a 100 on the semester final. Panic fuels chaos, but a positive mind cultivates growth. All I needed to do to get rid of this panic was stay positive and tune out the negativity. With a Perspective, I am Anayat Mohan.

Anayat Mohan is a rising 8th grader who lives in Fremont. In her free time, she likes to read romance and fantasy books as well as bake.