My entire life, I had always been a perfectionist regarding my grades. If it wasn’t an A it wasn’t OK. Everyone had always told me that college would be a culture shock, but it wasn’t until I got here that finally realized how serious they were. As a Science major on a pre-med track who was immediately thrown into all the weed-out classes the school had to offer, I immediately learned to accept that straight A’s weren’t going to be a thing anymore. Not to say that straight A’s in college are impossible (they are), but it’s certainly more challenging than before.
At first I was frustrated and disappointed; however, as the semester continued I learned to accept my grades for what they were and move forward. Obviously, I’m not sitting back and accepting poor grades. But I have come to realize that not having perfect grades all of the time is OK.
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Learning to accept my grades for what they are has helped me grow both as a student and as an individual. In the grand scheme of life, one bad grade isn’t going to kill you. As a student in a very competitive and vigorous major, it seems like all I hear about is the importance of GPA and perfect grades. And while GPA and scores do matter in pre-professional majors, I have learned not to get too caught up in them and the pressure they often create, because when you take the time to think about it, not every doctor who successfully achieved an M.D., or every nurse who went on to nursing school, had a 4.0 GPA.
There are so many other factors that contribute to whether or not someone becomes a doctor, or a lawyer or any professional. If you have the drive, the determination and the passion to become whatever it is you want to be, it will happen. It may not be as fast or easy as expected, but it will work out in the end -- and once you realize this, nothing can stop you from achieving your dream.
It’s OK to feel upset if you don’t get the grade you were expecting: that shows you care. But don’t let it bring you down. Move forward, keep your head up and learn from your mistake. Don’t think that you’ll never get into med-school or law school, or that you’re a failure, because that is probably far from true. Analyze what your mistake was and how you can improve it in the future.
Nobody’s perfect, despite people’s expectations. Whether you put pressure on yourself or others put pressure on you, remember that you are human and have so many other qualities that make you who you are. At the end of the day it’s not about whether you were the smartest or have the best degree. It’s about how hard you worked to get to where you are and the obstacles you overcame that helped you grow into a stronger human being.
So, to all those students out there who might not be as satisfied with their grades, remember: the only letters that define you are the ones in your name.
