Application Anxiety

Do you know how many things I’ve applied for in my life?  Jobs, scholarships, school, more school, study abroad, financial aid (which is different than scholarships), honor societies, promotions … you name it I’ve filled out the application.  And just when you think you’ve gone through every random process out there for determining if you’re qualified, capable or cool enough to participate … someone finds a new one. This week’s random find: www.checkster.com for completing pre-hire reference checks … it is certainly different.

As this semester progress toward my anticipated graduation date, I find myself once again applying for things, more jobs, more school, more financial aid and scholarships … seriously I ought to be able to do this in my sleep now.

But every time I go to click the submit button… or even worse turn in the paper copy of something, there is the associated application anxiety… What if I spelled my name wrong on the first page?  What if I forgot to change ABC scholarship name to XYZ scholarship in the essay?  What if one of the people I got to write the recommendation letters wrote nothing but bad things about me?  What if I just turned in the 14^th draft version instead of the final 18^th draft version?  The possible faux pas are endless.

Anybody out there know how many applications you have to submit before you stop being afraid of screwing them up?

Or is it like a biological protective thing … if applications are horribly painful and frightening, anyone who manages to complete one at least stands a chance at completing whatever task they’re applying to complete?

Anyway, here’s to completing another!

Wish me luck 🙂