Especially when exam season is right around the corner, the pressure to succeed is at the forefront of our brains, dead-set on achieving at least a near-perfect score on heavily weighed assignments and tests. There is something about the sense of satisfaction that comes from a good grade that keeps us craving it over and over again, creating a never-ending cycle of academic validation as we strive to prove our intelligence with a tangible mark out of 100. While we often think that this drive for good grades only sets the trajectory of our success, it can cause us to fall into a toxic spiral as we begin to base our self-worth on academics.
Throughout most students’ academic careers, there has always been an underlining pressure to be considered smart. We have to be smart enough to get accepted into our program, we have to be smart enough to stay in our program, we have to be smart enough to pursue post-graduate education and finally, we have to be smart enough to get a job. The education system continuously accentuates the importance of being “smart enough” to prosper through life. The problem with this lies in our smartness being measured by a series of heavily weighted examinations with a letter grade attached to them, so waiting for a grade back can feel like waiting for results that will determine your fate. Students rely on an A, B, C, D or F to reflect their intelligence, which is a process that can slowly but surely allow your identity to intertwine with your grades. An A-level seems to equate to all things outstanding, so being able to prove your worth with this grade acts as a security blanket that protects and defends your success. For this reason, anything below an above-average performance does not compare to the warming sense of pride that comes with being an A-student. An A-level grade permits you to be the over-achiever, the all-star and the epitome of smart — a reputation that demands to be upheld.
However, as your self-perception grows dependent on good grades, your physical and mental health can begin to deteriorate. Constantly seeking this external validation can cause you to succumb to a gruelling life of isolation and stress. All-nighters, disordered eating patterns and distancing yourself from family and friends start to seem like a necessary sacrifice for the sake of achieving a good grade, making it nearly impossible to sustain a healthy work-life balance. Self-care allows you to flourish, so make time to get a good night’s rest, cook yourself three meals a day and spend time with friends and family — you must be gentle to yourself.
It is important to recognize that relying on academic validation to motivate you is a counterproductive system of learning because your priority is not to retain information, but on how you can score closest to perfection. Straying away from academic validation does not mean that you should not have high aspirations and strive for excellence. Sufficient learning requires your time and effort, which should be acknowledged and celebrated when it pays off — great results, more often than not, do not come for free.
Still, A-level grades should only pay homage to your hard work and dedication, not your worth. Take comfort in that all you can do is the best you can with the cards you are dealt, it is okay if it does not result in a perfect score. All it takes to be smart is curiosity and a desire to learn. So, fall in love with the process of learning, not a letter grade.