I've heard a lot of prof. say that it's just a grade though.. but it's not for me. My GPA and contributions really matter. I have a scholarship to keep and plan to go to grad school after my undergrad. I don't want to just get my degree and move on. This is what I want to do! 
I was the same way my schooling career; my GPA was all-important to me. I went through both my undergrad and grad school on scholarship as well. By grad school, I was a mom. Now that I'm older I don't see it the same way at all, though I still live the same way (unfortunately). I see some of my co-workers doing much less than I do, and guess what? Same pay, but I am guessing they have a better quality of life. In fact, I get asked to do MORE work to teach them my methods (without compensation). I used to see my tendency toward perfectionism as a positive quality, but now I fight it because it's a hindrance. I am guessing this is why so many instructors give out this advice . . .we don't want our students making the same mistakes we did. Of course, there is the other side where some students do not care at all-- this is far more frustrating to me!
I am trying to get my kids away from that mentality, too. I expect them to take school seriously (it's their choice to go-- they can homeschool, too, which we've done) and place learning as their top goal, not grades. I hope for peace and balance in life for them. Focusing on being perfect, high grades, etc. takes away from that, IMO. We talk about their wins and losses and what we can learn from them, and then we move on.
yum, I'm so happy not to think about what to cook. We told her our favorite names for Little Do, too (no one else knows), and she loves it. Yay!
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