I don't get that I get it!

I had to run over to school this morning to copy a few cases that were too old to be in Findlaw. As long as I was there, I picked up my Legal Analysis paper. First, let me say that when it came to our midterms last fall, I had a pretty good idea of how I did on them. I KNEW I did well on Torts and Contracts, and not so well on CivPro and Legal Analysis (though those midterm grades were still a 68 and 76, clearly passing). But all my papers for LA have been a surprise to me. I always feel like they are horrible, and I always get decent grades. (Last semester's papers ranged from 80 to 95.)

I really didn't feel like this paper was any good. I felt like it needed a lot more in it to make it complete and thorough, but I was up against a 5.5 page limit. Additionally, after I did my research, and made notes to myself about the arguments, I really didn't spend that much time actually writing it. I did restructure it after one class that gave more clarification, but I didn't feel like I had "slaved" over it.

My tradition, upon getting a paper back, is to turn it over and read the comment from the professor before looking inside to see my grade. It just kind of helps me prepare, mentally, for what I'm going to see. Now, I was honestly thinking it was going to be in the 70s. And I was preparing for the complete humiliation I was going to have to face since one of my study group members who had gotten her paper back had received an 89. The moment of truth......I flipped it over and read,

"A super 1st research paper! Not much to criticize here! If you have any questions, let me know."

My first thoughts were, "What the heck????", as I turned inside to see my grade was a 91. How extremely cool is that? So, now I just don't get it......am I just too hard/critical of myself? (Well, duh, yeah, I know the answer to that. I never feel good enough about anything I am or do.) Whatever the case, I was really glad to see this grade. I already know that I enjoy doing the research (except perhaps for the manual Shepardizing, which is a pain in the ass), so to find that I am able to competently do it and pull it together in analysis makes me feel very positive about my future prospects. I just wish I felt confident about my written work. Even if I don't, I apparently know when to stop and just turn it in......which maybe in the end, is as good as having that confidence.