Perfectionism

[Rhea.bh.]

I can definitely relate to this- I was pedantic about schoolwork (especially English essays) and would constantly beat myself up over less than perfect scores, right up until the end of Units 1 and 2. It would get to the point where I'd have this sense of inertia about starting anything (a prac. report, an essay, a project, you name it), because I knew it would entail a massive amount of stress to get it just right, and exactly how I visualized it. But once Unit 3 and 4 hit, I realized that I just didn't have the energy to over-analyze and fixate over every little thing- I'm doing six subjects, so I'm really stretched for time. I've managed to somehow put things in perspective- mistakes and imperfections are fine as long as you learn from them. For my Biol midyears, I started doing prac exams about six weeks before, and I started off only getting about 60% on them, which really really bothered me. But then as I kept doing them, I kept making incremental improvements until I got to the point where I realized I'd achieved my target. It was then that I really started embracing the process of making mistakes and learning from them. You're in year 10, so you can still afford to make mistakes, just remember it's all a learning curve

[s.ay]

Thanks for the advice Rhea.bh. I'm definitely bad at accepting mistakes but when I do, I find it easier to learn and grow as a result. I guess I just have to work on that. Best of luck for the rest of the year, not that you need it by the sounds of it.

[pi]

I have a friend who is exactly like you. What he does is that if he doesn't think he did well (ie high A+) in SAC, he doesn't look at it and lets no-one look at it. Works for him

A 99.95-er from a couple years back at mhs did the same thing to his english SACs, clearly worked for him too

[s.ay]

ha good idea. I'll keep that in mind thanks!

[Truck]

Do you still remember your Year 8 results for every test/exam? What about your year 9 ones? If the answer is no (which it is for most people anyway), then you need to realize you probably will forget about your year 10 results as well and just focus on what matters; your 3/4's. Be pedantic as shit about them, but in the end most courses at good uni's don't need 99's anyway, so as nice as it is to get one just put everything into perspective and you won't stress so much.

In terms of year 10 subjects, and looking at what 3/4's your planning to do, try for Maths and go ahead of your course a bit; same with science and English. Everything else you really don't need to worry about at all - if you can get good grades, get them, but if you end up doing badly it really has NO EFFECT on anything in your life. Also, I don't get why you're doing Psych/P.E./Health 1/2 and not doing the 3/4 for them? A bit off topic but that seems like a waste of time?

[s.ay]

very true. In retrospect I couldn't care a less what I got in year eight and nine, as a matter of fact I wasn't at school half the time due to illness haha. Um well PE and health is compulsory, and I had every intention of doing psych 3/4 next year but i soon discovered a love for other subjects. So I can't change out of it for the rest of the year, but I don't mind

[Truck]

very true. In retrospect I couldn't care a less what I got in year eight and nine, as a matter of fact I wasn't at school half the time due to illness haha. Um well PE and health is compulsory, and I had every intention of doing psych 3/4 next year but i soon discovered a love for other subjects. So I can't change out of it for the rest of the year, but I don't mind

Fair enough then, I'm surprised they force you guys to do P.E. and Health 1/2, first school I've heard of to do that!

[s.ay]

haha I am assuming it is just a ploy for us to get off our asses every once in a while. And by making it a VCE subject rather than regular PE, the school is probably hoping we will feel the need to participate 

[HERculina]

I think that in junior years of high school its easy to be a perfectionist cause they give out 100s and stuff but then when u hit vce and get really shit marks its like: BAM! I just want to pass 

[Eriny]

^ That's true. But any sense of perfectionism I had was well and truly wiped out by university!

[MJRomeo81]

^ That's true. But any sense of perfectionism I had was well and truly wiped out by university!

I'm not in Uni yet but as I've heard off many, it really is necessary to lose the '100% or nothing' mentality.