Three Weeks Before SQE1: The Emotional Roller Coaster Nobody Talks About

I was preparing for one of the biggest professional examinations of my life. I had invested months of study, sacrificed weekends, and spent countless evenings working through questions after a full day at work. Passing the SQE1 would have a significant impact on my future career. Given those circumstances, it would have been surprising if I had felt calm and confident every single day.

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is believing that they should not experience these emotions. When anxiety appears, they try to push it away. When frustration appears, they become frustrated with the frustration. They tell themselves they should be more motivated, more disciplined, or more confident.

What helped me most was learning not to fight my emotions. Instead, I simply recognised them when they appeared. If I felt anxious, I acknowledged that anxiety was present. If I felt disappointed, I acknowledged the disappointment. If I felt panic, I recognised it for what it was rather than treating it as a sign that something terrible was about to happen.

I began to imagine these emotions as dark clouds moving across the sky. Sometimes the clouds were small and passed quickly. Sometimes they were large and seemed to cover the entire sky. However, no matter how dark they appeared, they never stayed forever. Eventually, the wind would move them on.

Emotions work in much the same way. Panic feels permanent when you are experiencing it, but it is not.

Disappointment feels overwhelming in the moment, but it fades. Fatigue can make it seem impossible to continue, yet after some rest and recovery it often loses its grip. The problem is that when we are inside the emotion, we often forget that it is temporary.

The important thing is not to allow a temporary emotion to determine your actions. There were many evenings when I felt tired of studying and many days when I genuinely did not want to complete another MCQ. Yet I continued anyway. Not because I was highly motivated every day, and not because I felt confident every day, but because I understood that emotions come and go while consistent effort accumulates over time.

I was tired, but persistent. I was anxious, but persistent. I was frustrated, but persistent.

Eventually, exam day arrived.

If you are currently approaching SQE1 and finding yourself on an emotional roller coaster, I want you to know that this experience is completely normal. It does not mean that you are weak, unprepared, or incapable of passing. More often than not, it simply means that you care deeply about the outcome and are carrying the weight of a demanding examination.

Recognise your emotions when they appear, but do not treat them as facts. Let them pass through your mind like clouds moving across the sky. Some days will feel better than others, and that is perfectly normal.

Then sit down, open your notes or your question bank, and do the next question. You do not need to conquer the entire SQE1 syllabus today. You only need to keep moving forward, one question at a time.