I'm an A-Level student in England with my first exam - English Literature - coming up within a weeks time. I can't begin to describe how worried and scared I am about doing it, and the repercussions of the results I get thereafter.

OP, I want to tell you that I'm so glad you've posted this, because I'm at a real low point. Keeping up grades at the dawn of, what is made out to be, such as pivotal period of my life is the scariest, most terrifying thing I feel like I have to do.

I have no idea what a NAPLAN test is. I wish there was something like this typed out for me and my A-Levels, because I keep believing that there's nothing else to life other than getting good grades. Because if I don't, I'm a failure. And I'll be reminded of that every time I put an F on my CV. And what's worse is that I know that I always think in this way; I just can't help it.

I'll bet that my future employer isn't going to give a damn about what my talents are. I know they're probably only going to care about my grade, and throw my application out if it's not good enough. I don't know how well I'll fare in a working world if I screw this all up, but I know I'll damn well die trying to get something that'll impress them, because it seems like that's the only thing I can do about it all.

And thanks to this post, I'm glad that as long as there are people in this world who manage to think in a way that these guys do, I've still got a hope in hells chance of achieving the success that I daydream about. The success of the front-page posts that I see on Reddit on a daily basis.

Judging from those submissions, I image the average redditor earning a shit ton of cash from a specialist degree in computer/math/science-engineering/analysis/researching. I know that it's the "highlight reel" effect of only seeing the good things in people's lives, but I don't think about that to myself when I see the success of others. I just think that it's their life, their success, and something I have to live up to. And I'm worried I can't.

I'm sorry for ranting. I don't often talk like this. My outlook is a bit skewed, I know, and I'm hoping a Redditor out there can give me a healthy dose of hardcore reality. I'm just worried that I've already had it, and if I do... well, damn.

Thanks, OP, I'm really glad you've posted this.