Academic Perfectionism: When doing well never feels good enough

Wanting to do well at university is not a problem, but sometimes achievement stops feeling satisfying.

You get a good mark and focus on the marks you lost. You finish an essay and immediately wonder what you should have done differently. You receive positive feedback but struggle to believe it. 

This could be academic perfectionism.

What is academic perfectionism?

Academic perfectionism is more than having high standards. It often involves linking achievement with self-worth. Instead of thinking: I’d like to do well,  your internal message becomes: I need to do well to feel okay about myself. When this happens, every assignment can start to feel like a judgement of your intelligence, ability or future.
 

Signs of academic perfectionism can include:

· spending far longer on work than necessary

· procrastinating because starting feels overwhelming

· repeatedly checking or editing work

· struggling with feedback

· comparing yourself with other students

· feeling guilty when resting

· dismissing success as luck

· feeling that a good result is never quite good enough

Why does success not feel enough?

Perfectionism often works by moving the goalposts. You tell yourself that once you get a particular mark, you will finally feel confident. Then you achieve it, and for a short time, you may feel relieved. But soon afterwards, the doubts return: Was the marking generous? Can I do it again? What if the next result is worse?

Success brings relief, but not necessarily a lasting sense of being good enough.

University can intensify perfectionism

University can be particularly challenging for perfectionistic students. Many arrive having done very well at school, only to find themselves surrounded by equally capable people. Work becomes more demanding, feedback more detailed and expectations less certain. For a perfectionistic mind, uncertainty can feel uncomfortable.

The response is often to work harder, check more and expect even more from yourself. Over time, this can contribute to anxiety, procrastination, burnout and low mood.

When resting feels like wasting time

Perfectionism can also make it difficult to switch off. Even when you are not studying, you may feel that you should be. The problem is that university work is rarely completely finished - there is always another article you could read or another paragraph you could improve. If you only allow yourself to rest once everything is done, rest may never feel deserved.

Separating your work from your worth

A disappointing mark is information about one piece of work. It is not a complete assessment of your intelligence, potential or value. That distinction can be difficult if achievement has been central to your identity for a long time.

Counselling can help explore what sits underneath the pressure to achieve, including fear of failure, comparison, imposter feelings, difficulty resting and the belief that you should always be doing more. 

The aim is not to make you less ambitious. It is to help you pursue your goals without your wellbeing depending entirely on the outcome.

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I work with university students in St Andrews and online, including students experiencing academic pressure, perfectionism, anxiety, low mood and major life transitions.