After being in college for almost a whole year, I'm starting to realize that I am not good at taking exams... at all. Sitting in a big lecture hall with 100 plus students taking an exam stresses me out more than the exam itself. I get so nervous... so anxious that it affects the way I take my exams. I get so nervous that sometimes I freak out just reading the first question, even if I know how to do it and I have to make myself calm down before I can actually start the exam.

I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well in school, as most students do. I want to prove myself to my family that they're spending all this money for me to go to a great school for a reason. All that pressure can become overwhelming, though.

Just because I'm not good at taking exams doesn't mean I'm not smart. It's such an important idea to remember. Your grades don't define who you are as a person. Bad grades don't mean you're stupid. I don't do the best on some of my exams, but I know I'm smart. I know I know what I'm talking about. I study my ass off, and sometimes my grades don't reflect that, which can be so frustrating. It doesn't mean that I give up or stop putting in all the effort I can.

Just because you might not be good at taking exams doesn't mean you're not smart. I know it might be hard to think that way, but grades don't reflect your intelligence level. You know what you know. You know how much effort you put in. You know what grades you deserve and should be getting.

Don't let your exam grades determine who you are.