High expectations

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I have got extremely high academic standards. I'm currently studying for my GCSEs (which are now two months away!) and am aiming for A* and A grades.

I've noticed that I have a strong sense of perfectionism (sound familiar anyone?) as everything needs to be perfect. Because of this, I would be disappointed with a B grade. Is anyone else like this?

For example, I got a B in an English drama speaking and listening, which I was disappointed with, considering how my other speaking and listening grades were A*. I was actually quite upset with that.

Share your sense of perfectionism here.

I'm the same way. I'm TICKED that I have a 3.97 and feel as if I should retake this one course I got a B+ in so that I can get a 4.00 (although I still have some 300-400 levels to go so I'm not sure how many I'd have to retake...I'm struggling mightily in a few classes this semester, both of which require a lot of social reasoning--something I lack).

I never fitted in at school and never got educated, do not get me wrong school just felt wrong and bored me it was like a process I had to endure.

But I have always been a perfectionism, worry about every detail, like things 100% - generally I think most Aspies tend to over analyze things, over think...

Frustrated perfectionist here. I have a bit of a working memory deficit and test anxiety, so certain things were difficult for me to learn and measure. After I failed my first class in the 3rd grade (math), I gave up on having stellar grades. You are fortunate, deep-techno, for having consistent academic abilities. Many people on the autism spectrum have much spottier performance.

Z

I've never been too concerned about grades- I show up to class, I learn the material, and then I let my grade be whatever it is. So far I've been fortunate enough that all my grades have come out as As, but I doubt I can expect that to keep up through college unless I start taking more of an interest in grades.

I want to be perfect in the classes, I care about. I wouldn't mind a 4 in German or PE but I am annoyed about me for getting a 1- in micro processor systems.

Math is the top priority for me, especially since I realized I might have weakened to the point of not being able to succeed college-level math anymore... if so it happens I may become mad.

This is why I focus on dating a girl with enough calculus II-III capability to avoid that dreaded point. However, should I fail any calculus exam, I will break up.

ROFL thats awesome

I have been making straight B's except for one class( Muslum Politics was hard and I made a C). I wish you all luck.

People with high academic standards are ruining my life because my dad has this need for me to measure up to them.

I used to have high academic standards because I thought that was how I had to redeem myself.

99% of my self-esteem issues find their core in academics.

I hate myself.

I'm going through a similar issue right now. I wanted all A's this semester, but fell fairly short. My final grades aren't in yet and i think i might have failed Differential Equations. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like I'm too old now to be sucking at school, and like I failed to prove myself to my college. I think the big problem is that I can never just focus for a very long period of time. Not only did i do school this semester, but I also got a part time job and tried to have a social life. Ideally I know better, that if I want to succeed I have to concentrate on only ONE thing at a time (so no dating and a vow of poverty for me). I've always been B average and wanted to improve myself. I don't know if I should just give it up and relax a little or mentally punish myself like I always do and double back with full force in the academic direction. If I were younger that decision would be easier (school, all the way). I've been in college on and off since I got out of high school (I'm 23 now) and the most success in life I've had is being able to hold down a job (no dates, not a lot of money). All I want is more, all i want is more...

Nonetheless, it seems that it's not only Aspies who have extreme perfectionism.

On a recent episode of The Apprentice, one of the competing entrepreneurs said, "I got one B grade in my GCSEs; which to me is an absolute failure. The others I got straight As."

Confirmation!

I watch that show; it's kind of one of those train wreck things with some of the people.

Anyway, I was like that for a long time. I had straight As and A+s without any effort until 4th grade, which was my first B(+ maybe? I don't remember). I came home and cried because it definitely wasn't up to my standard.

It came as an unpleasant shock when I had to start trying in the later grades; everyone else had caught up enough so that they would teach things that I didn't know or didn't have an innate grasp on. That was my first year with a C; I vaguely remember meltingdown over that. From then until this year, I tried really hard to be perfect; I did all my homework, paid attention, studied sometimes (studying is rarely necessary for me), ect. Still not perfect grades, but none lower than a B- in one really bad course, I think.

This year is the first year where I really don't care. I got a D in one of my classes (there were two assignments; I didn't do one of them. It was an elective though, so it didn't count for much), but it didn't really bother me. I'm not trying nearly as hard, and I'm still passing with decent grades (lowest grade this quarter is a C+; low, but not too bad, considering I never did any of the homework, and it's the next lowest is a solid B; highest grade is an A).

I don't know which I prefer, to tell the truth... My mother said earlier on in the year that she noticed that I hadn't been obsessive with my grades, and she was glad, because I had been stressing myself out. And I do like my schedule a lot better without caring. On the other hand though, the lower grades still irk me, and I'm not pleased with myself at all for them. I just don't have the motivation to do anything about it.

I got Bs and As in primary school (1-7), but I didn't care; Fs throughout all of high school, but I didn't care.

I'm not a perfectionist.

I'm the opposite. I seem to try hard to never get anything better than a D, haha.

I also started out with good grades, As and Bs, but then I just slumped down to Es and Fs in secondary school. I couldn't care less about school, grades... my school carrier was messed up in first grade already.



I think it's cool to stick to being a perfectionist when you can!

If you can get As - for whatever reason - get them. That' brilliant. Just don't make yourself sick worrying about it.

If you're unhappy about a B when you only get As usually - be unhappy. Try hard to get another A next time if you can!

Believe me. You don't want the opposite to happen like it happen to me. Stick to being a perfectionist. But also try to keep it in reason.

I think I will make As through high school with the prime exception of this semester's physics. Even the "teacher" doesn't care, and neither do I.