I always thought I was a model student, or at least I dreamt of being one, but the more I tried hard in school, the more burnt out I felt. I felt stupid or feeble-minded that my peers studied for 30 minutes and got top scores on a test I studied for 3 hours for and yet only got a B+. A high ’B’ is good regardless, but the fact that I put in more effort than my fellow classmates yet didn’t get the results I had expected The more I compared myself to other students, the more it affected my performance in school. I started studying to not embarrass myself rather than benefit myself academically. I still didn’t get the results I wanted, but I started to realize I shouldn’t work hard in school to please others or make myself look good; I should do it to benefit myself and my future. I learned to be happy with the results I’ve earned rather than compare myself to others. It’s the mindset you put yourself in that matters. Whether or not you get the grade you expected, the effort you put into it reflects on that grade.