Do Grades Really Matter

Nowadays, I see so many people saying grades do not really matter and they do not define you. I have always mixed feelings about those sentiments. After all, I am a student who tries her best to have good grades.

Grades matter.

I do not think that grades do not really matter at all. They have importance. We need good grades to have a chance at different opportunities and experiences. If I was not a student who gave importance to my grades, I would not have met my long-time friends who were my classmates in my special class. If I was not a good student, I would not have joined competitions in journalism, science quizzes and math contests. I would not have enjoyed so much in high school.

We should not think that grades do not have that significance. Some people think that you can be successful without having good grades because there are others who have become successful even when they did not have good grades in school. But, luck does not happen to everyone. There are opportunities that you can only grab when you are worthy of it.

I tried my best to get good grades so I can have scholarship in my college. I hope people would realize that they should strive to have good rankings even if they are not smart people. Having good grades does not always mean being smart. It means being able to work hard. Being a good student trains us to become hardworking people. And hardworking people are those that succeed the most.

I think we should study hard. We should not neglect our school performance because it says a lot about our attitude and values. It tells how much we make use of our time and how much we value our parents' efforts.

But, grades do not matter the most.

But, this is not to say that grades are all that matters. They’re not. They are important but not the most priority. What matters the most is ourselves. I got stuck on being a good student that I have forgot to care for myself. Focusing on my studies should not have meant neglecting myself but I was too young to know the importance of self-care.

I had a simple high school but a simple high school life does not mean an easy one. Along the way, there were challenges and obstacles. At first, I was full of hope and enthusiasm in studying, just a hardworking student aiming for the top. I was excited to learn and discover new things.

However, life in high school is not a playground. Because of that, I lost the little confidence I had in me and started thinking negatively of myself. I was in a slump. It felt like I even hated studying and thought of it as a burden rather than help. My motivation slowly faded and school did not matter anymore.

It was all thanks to my friends and parents who still treated me with the same affection as before that I got back on my feet. They did not pressure me or criticize me. It was a relief. I realized no matter how many disappointments and failures I made, I am still myself. It will not change the fact that I am actually capable and worthy as a person. I could always try for another.

I tried again. Yet, the life of a student is really not a carefree life. Stress piled up too much and I often had breakdowns. I sometimes cry not being able to handle the pressure and stress due to too much work as well as expectations.

Yet, I did not rely on anyone on my problem. It was something I needed to solve on my own. Luckily, I did. I learned to be self- sufficient. I learned how to carry on without depending a lot to others. That was because I learned to care for myself.

I tried my best not to sleep so late at night to finish my activities. I tried to have a life outside the school. I explored different hobbies.

Take care of your mental health.

I want to remind my fellow students here that mental health matters the most. It may be hard to give ourselves time while studying but we should try. Grades are important but ourselves matters the most.

Grades matter. But, grades do not define you. That is why you should not let yourself be defeated when you fail. Caring for yourself means giving yourself the chances you deserve – the chance to get back up again.

Lead image from Canva