Grades aren't just letters you see in the alphabet. They're more like keys that open up to either good or bad futures for us. Whether we like it or not, they're the letters that tell others just how intelligent we are in certain areas. That's the kind of pressure us students are put through.

Some of us can take it, while others tend to bend back or break. But is all that pressure of being the best or getting good grades really worth it? Is the desire to be recognized for some letters worth us losing ourselves for?

Freshmen and junior of high school are the years that count toward your future in college. Reason being that, freshman year is the year you start creating your GPA for the rest of your high school career. Then comes junior year, which is the year you take SATs and ACTs. Tests with scores that matter to colleges/universities you're applying to.

After you've passed those two years, senior year is all about getting accepted into your dream schools and preparing for graduation and prom. Then you graduate and transition into what's four years of you going to school for a career you desire.

That's when that same pressure you had in high school to graduate comes back... but worse. This time isn't just about graduating! It's about graduating with a degree with your name on it — because with that degree, you can show the world that you're someone with a title.

During those four of you trying to get that title, come with laughs and cries... BUT MAINLY CRIES! There are deadlines, exam dates, and requirements that have to be met before finishing the semester and getting ready for the new one. While all that is important, our inner selves get lost and our mental health deteriorates during the whole process.

We put these expectations on ourselves and don't think about our well-being until everything is over and we reflect on just exactly where all the time went? We think about what we've done and we could've done differently. We then come to realize that trying to do well and trying to meet our requirements is good, but also bad. We met the requirements but realized how lost we are in the end.

At the end, when it's late and we have to start getting ready to start the semester... WE START GETTING READY TO LOSE OURSELVES ALL OVER AGAIN!

The important thing to remember amidst all of the chaos and confusion of college is balance. Although balance can be difficult to maintain, it gets easier and easier once you learn ways to properly make time for each aspect of your life. It's crucial for your mental health and overall sanity to make time for things that make you happy, and to not devote all your time to schoolwork. Getting good grades is important, but so is your mental health, so make it a priority.