I’m a 21-year-old college junior with a major in neuroscience, and minor in public health I have great jobs, amazing friends and a GPA that is well…. average.

My parents have always hounded me about getting good grades ever since I could remember. Honor roll was expected, and when I was enrolled in geometry and received my first C, I was beyond disappointed in myself. I was determined to get into all of the colleges that I applied to, and didn’t think that was possible with a grade that was just average; after all what college wants to accept a student that is just like everyone else? I graduated high school with a GPA that I was happy with, and got into a great college in the heart of Boston; my grades in geometry and Spanish didn’t bring me down too much, but I was determined to not let any of those grades occur in college.

I moved away from home, and left everything that I knew. High school didn’t prepare me for college as much as I thought it had. My grades slipped and I didn’t know how to study the right ways, no matter how hard I tried my grades were not me and I quickly became worried, wondering where I would ever get a job. As semesters went on it got better and better but never to the level that I wanted them to be at; I felt less and less competent, more and more disappointed, and less motivated.

Six semesters later, and I have finally learned that a number has not and never will define me. Six semesters later and I have finally learned that I wouldn’t want a number to define me; there are so many other things that I would prefer to be known as, rather than the girl with an exceptional GPA.

I would prefer to be known as the girl that,

... is friendly and respectful to everyone she crosses paths with.

...that knows how to carry herself, and how to appropriately handle tough situations.

...that has amazing friends, and is willing to do anything to be an amazing friend back.

... knows how to make people smile on their worst of days.

...tries her hardest when it comes to every task.

...doesn't let anything get in the way of her future career goals.

...is able to see the best in every person.

...has short term and long term goals.

...handles the children that she works with, with care.

... is independent.

...emerges herself in her major, farther than the classroom.

... has a bright future.

When the time comes for me to apply to jobs, and grad school i want to be able to talk to people about undergrad differently than most, I don't want to talk about how I got all A's; I want to talk about how I had two terrific jobs, got an internship at my dream job, and learned lessons in these places that a University could never ever try to teach me.

I want to talk about how my job taught me to love unconditionally, and never give up on a career that makes you feel like you are really making a difference. I want to talk about the time I taught child to ride a bike, the times I saw what PTSD, anxiety, depression, and attachment disorders actually look like.

Education is important, don't get me wrong. I know that I need to do well to get where I want to be, but that is not what it is all about, there are bigger things in life than standardized testing, and I wish that people saw that.

At the end of the day, the last thing that I want to define me is my GPA, because I know although my GPA may be average, I am not.