Everyone strives to get a good grade in their class. For many people, they go all throughout high school with amazing grades, but when they get to college, there can be a struggle to keep up between hard classes, extracurriculars, sports, and “adulting” for the first time. While a GPA does matter for things like scholarships or future educational experiences, here are 4.0 things way more important than the little number determined by your grades.

1. Your mental health.

Life is all about choices. For college students, sometimes that is choosing between homework and something else. Staying up all hours of the night just to try and study for a test won’t always help you. Sometimes it will be best for you to just sleep and simply relax. If you keep pushing yourself, you will get worn out and it will be even harder for you to succeed.

2. Making memories.

This one could be good or bad depending on the situation. There will be times you hang out with friends or go on cool trips. Or there will be breakups and failed tests. Regardless of the situation, it’s still a memory. You’ll only be a first-time college student for the first time, so you might as well make the best of the situation while you can. You can always achieve new goals, but you can’t make new memories for your younger years.

3. Adult life skills.

Not everyone may bother with this one, but it is important to learn how to do things on your own as well. You don’t necessarily have to have a job in order to do this. But you will have to learn how to do your own grocery shopping, cleaning, and life choices in general. If you do have money, you have to pick what you prioritize. Do you want to go out to dinner or pay for gas? Do you want those new clothes or groceries? Sometimes the choices aren’t easy, but you do have to make them. These are skills that will stick with you long after getting your degree.

4. A determined attitude.

No matter what you GPA is, nothing will beat a can-do attitude. You can choose to make the best of you situations in life. Whether things are going good or bad, pushing forward will give you a necessary life skill to get through whatever is thrown at you. When you apply for jobs and keep getting rejected, you can push forward. When you didn’t get a pay raise, you can push forward. Bad things might get thrown you way, but keeping an upbeat and forward going attitude will keep you moving through your college years regardless of what life gives you.