Perfection is Pointless by Corinna

Perfection is Pointless by Corinna - May 2021 Scholarship Essay

Maybe it can be traced to some OCD origins, but I have been a perfectionist with almost anything and everything in my life, especially my grades. I can remember a few times in middle school when I made myself so nervous before a presentation that I drove myself nauseous, or I would sometimes even cry if I didn’t get as good of a grade on an assignment as I expected I would. I viewed school as the only important thing in my life, and thought my world would stop spinning if I failed. High school helped me break this mindset.
Over my four years in high school, I’ve learned what really matters in life, or at least what I want to focus my energy towards, and my life doesn’t revolve around school anymore. I had to learn to accept the fact that I wouldn’t get a 4 on every assignment and yet I would still be okay. The best way for me to learn this though, was through failure. It took getting that bad grade on that paper, and still passing the class, for me to truly realize everything would be okay.
That’s not to say I didn’t try at all anymore once I figured this out for myself, because I did. I still put a considerable amount of effort into my school work, which is reflective of me earning number ten in my graduating class. After realizing a good grade isn’t the end all be all, I’ve noticed myself become happier overall. Because I don’t stress over school constantly anymore, I allow myself more time to do the things I enjoy, like spending time with friends and family.
It took a long time and a lot of self-reassurance, but I finally am accepting of the fact that a perfect 100 isn’t as crucial as I once thought. I will still be successful in my college career, future job, and life, regardless of the grade I get on my science test. School isn’t everything. There are more important things in life.