Day 4- Grades

Day 4 of Summer---

So, for people at my college, today was more than just Memorial Day. It was Grade Day. Today, the most momentous Monday after final exams, but before graduation, we received our final term grades. And, as with nearly any announcement of something long awaited, some were happy, and some were sad. And most were simply relieved that, no matter the outcome, the semester was over. 

I was fairly pleased with mine. Technically, it's the worst that I've ever done in college, but my grades were just fine, and I think they're fantastic considering the semester that I endured. But whenever anyone brings up the idea of grades, there's always the debate over their worth, and their actual meaning for students, and their application in real life. 

Does this make sense to you?

I generally have liked grades. I have always understood the way that school and classes worked. However, I had the good fortune of being raised in a family where education is the most important thing. Everything my family did when I was a child was geared towards excellence in school. Some families have athletics, or social traditions. We had education. 

On college campuses, there is a self-contradictory truth. On the one hand, no one wants to be the ultimate nerd, always doing work and constantly worried about grades. I’m not saying I agree with the stereotype. I’m saying it exists. On the other hand, many students at my college have large scholarships to be concerned about, honor societies they want to get into, parents with high expectations. And there is the ever-present idea that you are competing against thousands of other college students around the world for a handful of jobs. The pressure on grades, while not immediately apparent, pervades all of college life.

This pressure is sometimes helpful, and sometimes not. For those who operate well under high stakes circumstances, knowing exactly who expects what of you, and what you need to do to get it, can be comforting. For those who crack or fade out under pressure, it can often be too much. The opposition, the forces all seeming to converge on you at once, can be overwhelming. This can lead to an all-of-a-sudden breakdown or simple inaction. Sometimes, there is so much to do that the only thing that makes sense is for you to take a nap.

                                         And naps are nice, aren't they?

But there's something that isn't always acknowledged. It can be thrown around during the panic time of exams, or during the summer when there's nothing left to talk about. But it's valid, and it needs to be said: There's more to life than grades. 

For those who are not so great at school, this is an important thought. Just because you're not good at math, or at long papers, or at presentations, does not mean you're not a good person, and it does not mean that you aren't or never will be worth anything. This doesn't mean you can give up on school, or on improving in the areas where you are weak. School and grades are important. But who you are as a person is equally important. And that is what will last you. In 20 years, or even 5, will it matter what grade you got on your history final? What will matter is the way that you carried yourself. That you worked your hardest, were honest with those you came into contact with, and tried to make yourself and the world you lived in a better place. Your smile, your sense of humor, your morals mean as much as any equation, and it's important not to lose sight of that. 

For those that are good at school, college can be a time when one loses focus on reality. Classes are incredibly important. They are the purpose of college. But great grades does not a great person make. An A in English will not make up for a lack of kindness or consideration for others. If your grades are the best thing about you, then you're missing part of the experience of developing your personality as a young adult. Memories, while sometimes made amongst books in the library, are often made outside the classroom. And it is strings of memories which make up a lifetime. Of course don't give up on your grades, or your great work ethic, but remember to take care of yourself, so that you can keep achieving at a high level. This requires time to cool down, and to let loose. Also, to be remembered: if your grades are the most important thing to you, that does not necessarily mean that they are the most important thing to those close to you. Be excited for yourself, but be respectful. 

College is a brief period in life. It began. It will end. And at the end of it, grades will matter. However, that's not the only thing that will matter. The knowledge gained in college cannot be confined to a classroom, and character is formed in finding ones' self and in determining what matters. If grades matter to you, then earn them. If they don't, do what you need to do to set yourself up for the future you desire. The perceptions of society, and of those around you, will fall silent in the face of your success. You simply have go out and be successful, however you determine that to be.