<p>I am a paranoid person over grades. I always get top marks in all my classes, but if for some reason if I get anything under a A on a test I freak out. I got all A’s in my classes, but in one of my classes I got a A and C on the 2 parts of my final, and even though I got an A in the class I kinda was disappointed. My biggest fear is when I get a lower score on a exam and the instructor returns the exam and I get lower than my peers. Is there any way I can fix this. I have a big ego in school and I feel like I have to maintain that but It kinda messes with me. I always try to get enough sleep and I am paranoid for getting top marks. I haven;t gotten a B yet but I dont know how that will affect my chances to get into a top school. Sorry if I sounded cocky or this might not sound like a big deal but it affects me alot.</p>
<p>You should be in competition only with yourself. There’s going to be people who are better than you – even if you’re Valedictorian, there’s still gonna be kids who may score higher than you on the SAT, who have won more awards, are more well rounded in terms of athletics and other extracurricular activity, etc. Its really a terrible, never ending hierarchy and its super toxic if you get caught up in it. Set your own standards. </p>
<p>You don’t have to be top dog all the time – you are not locked in competition with your graduating class – your graduating class isn’t going to apply to all of the same schools as you for one single spot that you need to beat them out for** – you’re just trying to be the best version of yourself as possible. You want to be competitive on a larger scale, in the greater scope of a nationwide applicant pool. Look at your achievements in the context of the class profiles of the schools you aspire to - not the achievements of that weird kid who sits next to you in Chemistry.</p>
<p>Once you realize that you are an individual and you have your own unique goals that need to be established through a path that only you can create, you’ll feel a lot less anxiety and a lot more pride in yourself and your work.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
A friend of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian, who unfortunately isn’t even the top 10 – but surprisingly enough has yet to develop an inferiority complex. </p>
<p>** - A small segment of your graduating class might – about everyone who shares a spot with me in the top 10% is applying to a few of my schools – but certainly not all of the schools, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Well that was resolved relatively quickly.</p>
<p>Preamble, that answer was really helpful for me, as well. I’m currently valedictorian, but am constantly afraid of low marks. I’ve survived three years without losing this title, I should be more confident by now. I guess it doesn’t help that I have horrible classmates that make everything a contest. </p>