As finals week rolls around, the all-too familiar feeling of stressing about final grades comes with it. It just comes with the territory; we have grown up our entire lives caring about our grades, and we’ve also learned how much good that can bring (we are all UCLA students after all). But that pressure and desire to succeed can be overwhelming, especially in academics, where there is a strict numerical scale that measures how well you have performed that quarter.
And then it can feel like that number is the most important thing in your life. It can feel like if it isn’t high enough, you aren’t enough. Unfortunately, this feeling is part of being a college student now. There is a culture on campus that pushes achievement, achievement, achievement, no matter the sacrifice. And getting swept up in that culture has happened to everyone.
I remember my first quarter here at UCLA, going through the entire finals season for the first time. I remember the pit in my stomach when I eventually realized that the grades I was going to get would be the worst I had ever gotten in my life. I had spent my entire life up until that point letting my grades define me, letting them become the part of myself that I was the most proud of. And when that part of my world came crumbling down, I had no idea what to do with myself. I felt terrible about myself; suddenly, I was defined by something that didn’t feel good anymore.
Obviously, I cannot come here and write on and on about how grades just don’t matter. A fact of life is that they probably do, especially if you are planning on attending any sort of program after undergrad, whether that be med school or a master’s program. When I suddenly wasn’t proud of my grades anymore, I was immediately inspired to work even harder in an attempt to get back to where I used to be (this is still a work in progress).
But, grades aren’t everything. While still part of an application or resume, they are simply one element – not the make or break factor. But most importantly to remember, when looking at who you are as a person, they are a miniscule component.
There are so many other things that define you: hobbies, extracurriculars, friends and family, interests. The list goes on and on, and when you look at your grades in comparison to every other thing you have in your life that is important to you, they are going to look minuscule in comparison. For example, when I compare my grades as my defining factor to the defining factor that my sister and I are extremely close and that makes my life fulfilling, my grades pale in comparison.
In order to survive finals season, sometimes this reminder to shift your perspective is essential. I would recommend, when the finals stress really hits and it feels so overwhelming and all-consuming, to remind yourself of all the other things you have that are going well in your life, things you have to be grateful for. It can really help you realize that there is so much more to your life than your grades.