It is difficult living up to the expectations of others in any situation, but for me personally, it is most fitting in the academic context. I come from a family that stresses academia, and with that, also seek academic perfection. All my life, I have been conditioned to think that getting a B is essentially equivalent to getting an F, as only an A symbolizes intellectual wealth. However, as I entered my freshman year at Wake Forest University, I realized that this was not the reality, and to anyone entering college who are still stubborn in their beliefs, I guarantee they will change as you experience the demands of college academia. Getting a B, or even a C for that matter, is a respectable feat in higher learning as the work input in college is far more superior to that of high school.

I believe we need to get out of the mindset that anything less than an A is not worth self-praise. I am by no means warranting an exercise where effort is reduced just to squeeze the bare minimum of a C to pass, but rather praising the idea that if you know you put all of your hard work and effort into a class and still come out with a grade that is not universally desirable, you should be proud of what you achieved nonetheless. You need to remember that what they don't see is the effort it takes to reach a grade, so they as a third-party have no right to belittle your academic efforts. Perfection is subjective to you, no externality can sully your ideation and if having a more fulfilling life means sacrificing straight A's, then so be it.