According to Maria Pasucci of the Buffalo News, it is uniquely important for entering college students to understand and grasp the difference behind what it means to be a "high achiever" and an "overachiever." In the article, Pasucci reveals that students are encouraged by society to not do THEIR best, but be THE BEST. Pasucci expresses that this mentality is responsible for the breeding of overachieving, perfectionist, students. She goes further to say that students who transition into college with a perfectionist attitude are in for a rude awakening.
The article explains that the unhealthy overachievers will be disappointed because it is fairly difficult to maintain the coveted 4.0; however, one aspect which Pasucci did not evaluate is what happens to the healthy high achiever who suffers. According Alexandra Robbins (author of The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids), there are healthy students who aim to do their best rather than the best. These are the students who expect to put everything they have in to something and expect to get a result that is somewhat similar to what they put in. What happens to the student who gives college everything he (or she) has and it still does not seem to be enough? The overachiever is berated for being such a perfectionist, while the high achiever is told to try harder.
Robbins reveals that students should enjoy college and do what they can; however, what about when the high achiever is destined to barely scrap by in college? What can this student do? The answer is a difficult one, but is one that both Robbins and Pasucci agree upon: buckle up for the ride. It might be tough; however, it must be done. Pasucci illustrates that students become more unhealthy (both physically and mentally) when they focus too much on what is happening to them. With this being the case, the most widely accepted approach is to simply do what you can, when you can; or else suffer from serious detriments.
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