As the fall 2024 semester winds down, many students are cramming to study for their upcoming final exams. These tests can bring on feelings of stress and anxiety and trigger those who deal with perfectionism.
Perfectionism is the tendency to demand of others or of oneself an extremely high or even flawless level of performance, in excess of what is required by the situation.
Some aspects of perfectionism include setting exceptionally high standards for oneself, a self-worth contingent on achievement and continuous goals despite negative consequences.Â
“It’s something that gets in the way of accepting productivity at anything below the absolute top,” staff psychologist at the University of Maryland counseling center, David Petersen said.
Petersen led a session on perfectionism through the counseling center in November. The session discussed perfectionism’s impact on self-worth and its manifestations in high standards, procrastination and catastrophizing.
“It’s difficult to confront the possibility that we aren’t perfect,” said Petersen.Â
The session emphasized the importance of realistic expectations and the negative consequences of perfectionism, such as anxiety and depression.
“[Perfectionists] can set goals that are almost impossible to achieve,” Petersen said. “The whole idea of striving for excellence becomes self-defeating.”
Petersen explained that perfectionism does not exist solely in an academic setting. It can manifest in one’s social life, relationships, self-care, career and everyday activities.
“I think my perfectionism makes me hard on myself,” sophomore public health science major, Dieynaba Talla said. “I set high standards that I can’t complete, and then I am hard on myself when I don’t achieve them.”Â
Catastrophizing is a common style of thinking associated with perfectionism. Snowballing is associated with catastrophic thinking, where negative thoughts can build upon themselves, causing someone to spiral.Â
“If I’m not perfect, I’ll drop out of College,” Petersen gave as an example. “If I drop out of college, I won’t be able to get a job. If I don’t get a job, I’m going to be homeless and out on the street, and I’ll never be worth anything.”
During the session, Petersen suggested strategies to combat perfectionism, such as time management, setting SMART goals and recognizing personal strengths.Â
“I think a lot of students struggle without resources because they don’t know about them and end up silently suffering,” said Talla.Â
If you are a student struggling with perfectionism while studying for upcoming final exams, you don’t have to grapple with the pressures on your own. The UMD Counseling Center offers free and confidential mental health services for registered students.Â
The center is located in the Shoemaker Building and is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Call their office at (301) 314-7651 to schedule a brief assessment during operational hours.