Albert Ellis called these type of concerns and fears "irrational beliefs." Irrational beliefs are those beliefs that play an unhelpful, unsupportive or illogical role when representing our reality. These are inconsistent with our true circumstances and therefore, often lead to misery or dysfunction. In this case, Michelle believes that a single test will define the rest of her future. This is irrational because it is not logically consistent with the way the world actually operates.
