How did/do you do in school/college?

I've read in a few places that people with BPD have a hard time with school and college for various reasons. I didn't do well in grade school because I always felt like most of it was a waste of time, but I had several years between grade school and college. By the time I got to college, I was so ready to be learning new things in groups with other people. I did really well from the start and I've managed to keep it up, and I think the reason why is because I am addicted to the praise from professors. Every time I get an A or a professor writes a good comment on a paper, I get a short-lived but very real surge of happiness. The harder the subject, the more happiness I get from doing well. It makes me feel better about myself for a little while. I always need more though -- more recognition, more praise, just to keep me feeling okay about myself.

At one time, I got straight A's. When I'm in a depressed period (like now) I lose most of my motivation, and only do the minimum to not deal with bad consequences. so the A's may go down to B's. School has always been very easy for me, so for me B's mean that I don't give a s*** and they would be C's and D's if my teachers had higher standards/ if the other students weren't so dumb.

I usually feel like when I get an A, it's only because other students didn't do well. Like if I was around brilliant people, I wouldn't be getting A's anymore. I also can't help wondering -- out of all the A's given on an assignment, where would the professor rank mine? It really bothers me that some people might have "better" A's than I do, that the professor might think my paper is very good but that someone else's is truly brilliant.

When I started university, I was married to my first love and everything was shiney and new. I did really well and like you, admired the praise and attention from professors. I even started numerous tutorial groups to further gain praise and admiration from other students. I was an intellectual slut.

Worked so well I left the faculty of education and entered sciences and ended up with a full scholarship to the faculty of medicine. My marks placed me third out of 128 students accepted into the faculty. Then one day, after dropping my wife at work, she came over to the driver's side window and threw a letter on my lap. I waited 'til I got home to read it. No good can come from a letter beginning with "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to write...". I dropped out of school and never returned. Just couldn't handle the pain. Had that not occurred, I think I'd have done well but I'll never really know.

never got any grades, the teachers requested my coursework (which i worked hard on) and they lost it some how, and then i was told the wrong times for the exam and just gave up out of frustration and sadness.

I'll give an example of how it is for me. Last semester, I had a course named: Developmental Psychology Lifespan. I'm a Psych Major, so this course should have been a piece of sweet-icing cake to me. First half, straight beautiful A's. Second half? After a suicide attempt, massive depression crashed onto me & I failed the class from sheer "giving-up".

My grades are either perfect or non-existent, depending on my changing moods.

I didn't go to college. I'm far too unmotivated for that. I did miserably in high school because I didn't care. I didn't give a $#%^ at all. I aimed for D's. I'm not stupid, I could have gotten A's if I wanted to. My school was pretty crappy also and none of the teachers cared.

I had real bad anxiety walking in the halls and I despised when other students would talk to me. The only good part was meeting my fiance. We had all of our classes together and stuck to each other and basically didn't speak to anyone else lol. We're both very anti social but extremely social to each other haha!

At school I did very well academically but I would have failed at "socialising" and "making friends"....although would have won prizes for "cried the most" and "who got their chair pulled out from under them the most". But I have very high unrelenting standards and anything less than a B in ANY subject would have been absolutely devastating. I can't handle getting something wrong AT ALL.

At university I did better all round. I escaped the kids from school and could become whoever I wanted. i met my ex and we were together all throughout university which really helped boost my confidence. I studied hard - I don't know how people can't NOT study....if you're paying to learn, why not learn? I hate it if I can't do homework for my DBT group for whatever reason (generally Interpersonal Skills homework) and I get all wound up and angry.

I'm applying to college to study Mental Health and Care, hoping to go back to university in 2012 to do nursing, counselling or occupational therapy. I love studying......it's just the social side that freaks me out!