How I laugh at things today, which made me anxious last year.

This was a funny incident of 2020 which I want to share. The reason I'm doing it now is because it occured around this time of last year.

Now, let me say something to give you context - I'm a University student, currently in my final semester. So this is how the story goes -

Some folks at the University EDP department made a mistake while calculating my attendance for a previous semester.

An attendance of 85% was mandatory to be eligible for takingthe final semester exams.

Back then, I didn't know exactly how much attendance I had. Plus, we don't get access to electronic records which the officials have.

All we can ever know is the calculation from the attendance book which our professor has.This is the same book the EDP department digitizes. However, those digital records can't be changed once entered.

So on February 14, 2020 I got summoned by the Head of the Department, along with few of my classmates. Actually the whole class got vacant because we were the very few people who showed up on a Valentine's Day.

That's when I got shocked. Why ? Because my attendance in the electronic records were 60%. The HoD threatened to debar me from writing exams.

I tried a lot to convince him that I was regular in attending the classes. But all my pleas fell on deaf ears.

I checked the calendar. I had only 2 more months of classes before exams and knew I can't do anything to get it above 85%.

I was really anxious. Also worried about my future. I thought the whole world was conspiring against me.

So I wrote an apology to temporarily escape. After that I visited all my professors one by one, each day. Some days, they were not available and some were reluctant to share.

It took me 2 weeks to get the actual picture. I was relieved. I had 91% attendance.

So, I made a daily visit to the EDP department for a week to get those records.

They did not reveal much but, from what I understood I could conclude that it was their error.

I also had company - as few more classmates were in the same situation I was.

So, by March 10, 2020 I had got a clear picture and began requesting my HoD and co - ordinators to remove my name from the blacklist.

So I could write my exams. However my pleas were not considered.

I got depressed and anxious.

The only relief was that there were 5 - 6 classmates facing my same plight.

I was worried about my future and how I can tell this to my family.

I kept quiet for a few days and tried to distract myself.

I was totally lost and confused.

That night, I went to my room and watched my favourite movie again. It was this:

(For those who may not know, the movie is: The Shawshank Redemption)

Now, here comes a twist.

It was around this time the COVID 19 began spreading all over the world. Some countries were struggling.

So, on March 14th 2020 the Government ordered all educational institutions to close down.

Initially it was for 2 weeks and then it got extended to months.

Suddenly, my problems became irrelevant. It was a really liberating feeling.

Once the lockdown was declared, everyone would lose 2 months of classes and attendance.

So it became impossible for them to debar students.

The next thing that occured was that the governing bodies cancelled exams for that semester.

We were to be graded according to our performance in the previous semesters.

Maybe I got lucky, here. Even if the pandemic never occured, the worst case scenario would have been a backlog for me. And I could always write it and compensate for that loss.

Today I feel I was stupid to worry so much for a small matter.

I understand not all of us have such trivial issues.

But, isn't it useless worrying over it?

A lot of us make a mountain out of a molehill.

Today, I smile when I recollect this. It's only 1 year now.

So everytime I get anxious, I began asking myself - will this matter to me after a few years?

If it was "No", I just went back to business.

Thanks for reading. I Hope the learnings from my experience helps you combat anxiety.

Also, do share if you have any such stories.