It is common for university students to go through a phase of difficulty with perfectionism as they make the transition from high school to college level demands.

Perfectionistic thinking is relatively common, particularly in a competitive university environment, especially in a medical field. Physicians, as a group, tend to be perfectionists, rigid in their thinking.  With most people, perfectionistic struggles are manageable, minor difficulties. More pronounced difficulties with perfectionism can show up in a number of forms:

·    extensive procrastination, because the person cannot free her/himself from perfectionistic demands long enough to begin writing, studying, etc.

·    heightened anxiety caused by perfectionistic "what if-ing" about upcoming events (tests, examinations, speeches, etc.), which can lead to blanking (such as on tests) and concentration lapses high stress levels and fatigue caused by worrying incessantly about performance and adequacy

·    depressed mood due to perfectionistic beating up on oneself when one's performance falls beneath one's rigid expectations

·    lack of enjoyment in life, because perfectionism prevents one from enjoying rewards and leisure when there are any unjumped hurdles to contemplate (and there always are).