Everyone thinks about grades. They are a numeric value that is given to you to determine how well you did on an assignment.
Depending on the grader, it can be an accurate assessment of how much time and hard work you put into an assignment. However, whatever the grade may be, it does not define you.
College is hard. You’re going to get grades you’re proud of and you’re going to get grades you’re ashamed of.
These grades are just numbers.
They don’t get to tell you how you feel about yourself. Just because you may not understand the material, it doesn’t mean you’re not smart.
Sometimes it’s just a sign that the material is difficult to understand and you’ll have to try a little harder. Which is okay. Sometimes it’s a sign that you do know it, but didn’t put in the level of work you needed to.
No matter what the reason is for whatever grade you got, you HAVE to remember that it doesn’t determine your worth.
You get hundreds of grades in your life. Did you let the 75 on your math test determine how you felt about yourself in 3rd grade? Probably not, so why would you let it decide how you felt about yourself now?
Grades are important; you should aim for A’s and want to work hard to get them. However, you will fall short sometimes and you shouldn’t let those times decide that you aren’t smart or good enough.
Take your grades, take the feedback, reflect on why you got the grades you got and learn from it.
Celebrate when you get a grade you’re proud of. Don’t hate on yourself when you get a grade you’re not proud of. Study harder, do better next time, but don’t get too upset.
These grades mean next to nothing in the long run. You should always do your best in every aspect of your life, grades are no exception, but you won’t always get what you want. That’s just life.
You can always do better. You can try harder. You can fix grades.
So as exams are approaching, and you start to stress about how your grades will determine your knowledge or success in the future – stop. You won’t remember every grade you’ve received when you get your dream job.
Learn from it and move on.