Competitiveness is a thing. A thing I am very used to having been a swimmer most of my life. It eats you up. You can think of nothing worse than loosing and you strive and strive to the best. However, what I have never done is let this competitiveness in sports affect the way I make others feel. I don't like boasting. That's why I hate writing personal statements or cover letters for jobs as I hate being like
"You should hire me because I am the best blah, blah, blah"
I never turned around to people after a race and smile happily at their loss. I simple got out, head down, and smiled with my team. Maybe occasionally I celebrated a bit too much if my team won or sulked too much if my team lost but, I grew up and I grew out of it. What I have never done is show off or be openly competitive with grades.

"So what did you get? How did you do?" is the first question anyone seems to hear as they leave an exam or when they have just got their papers back. They didn't seem to understand when I responded,
"I'm going to see when I get back." I'd fold my piece of paper up and put it in my bag. I didn't want to know till I was by myself. This was, in part, a defence mechanism incase I got anything wrong. But imagine if I opened up my mark and was gutted yet the girl next to me got lower and was delighted. How would she then feel? Should be gutted too? Should be suddenly disappointed because I am?

And now I turn to Social Media. I HATE IT when I see people put "OH MY GOD JUST GOT AN FIRST ON THIS ESSAY!" I may not even be doing the same course or I may have got a first myself but what kind of a thing is that to say on Facebook? How will that make all those who tried their best but didn't quite make the mark feel? Probably a lot worse than they already did. Think before you show off on Facebook please.

(Sorry, it's a short one today as ummmmm  I don't know how to delicately say this...ok fine, PMS has hit and I'm in a lot of pain. I am also completing my last day of applying for Graduate schemes and one of them just quit on me when I spent an entire two hours writing out answers to their questions and now I need to do it again!)

Love x