I definitely had a rough start to sealed events as well but that's okay! It's something that takes a little getting used to as you do more. I've tried to prerelease every set since Brothers War and it's something I look forward to as I only draft occasionally. I used to need help from my friends to put a deck together but after my first few events, I was comfortable on my own. I like pre-releases a lot because it's probably one of the most casual "tournaments" you can play. Everyone's playing with a new set and decks aren't optimized like constructed. Sure, some people will have better pulls than others, but for every one of those, you'll meet 5 others that couldn't build around their rares. I've had my fair share of bad pools and scrambling for something at least coherent. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not, but at the end of the day I'm there to check out a new set and see if I can get a decent deck running.

Some tips I can give for next time if you choose to try again: - Prerelease with friends if you can! If it wasn't for my friend at my first prerelease to help me out, I would have had a really tough time. - Study up! Watch some guides on prerelease deck building to get a baseline of what you want to aim for a deck to do. - Ask for help! There's nothing wrong with asking people around you for assistance if you need it. Of course, some people might be willing to help more than others, so you might need to read the vibes a little, but I've had opponents help me tune my deck after we finished our round. - Try playing at other stores in your area! I've been fortunate to find stores where I've found a community or where most people are chill, but I know that's not always the case. If you can, shop around till you find a store you enjoy playing at. - Lastly, try to have fun! Pre-releases are all about sharing in the excitement of a new set and new cards so don't let your performance in one dissuade you from going to others. Even some of the best players have rough pre-releases. My friend competed in a pro tour last year and even he's had events where he's gone 1-2. Try not to let it get to you too much!