In my opinion, the first thing you have to do is matriculate in courses that you like. Do what you like, and do it better than everyone else. If you really like it, investing time in it wont bother you. Of course benchmarking is healthy, but it is just that; a point of comparison. Only by defining your goals and objectives you can surpass yourselves. Everyone has a different approach on life created by the environment they where born into and the genetics they carry. So if it is haunting whether your classmate is better than you or not, always remember: He is different than you. Strength and weakness, gospel of our beloved Sun-Tzu.