How does Grade Status Affect Teenage Mentality?

Wrys

Gold Miner
This topic has been on my mind A LOT.

Hi guys, it's Wrys again.

Getting good grades seem to be the priority for many high schoolers, but at what costs?

Last year I entered into my public highschool as a freshman, I did not study for anything and I had straight A's. Maybe it was that I wasn't prepared for the work load of sophomore year, because I only learned how to successfully study before midterms! Now hear I am, a college level chemistry test and an Algebra H test, both of which I am unconfident in passing. I have an English essay due Tuesday, a concert the same day, and a history essay on Thursday. One of the most terrible situations I have experienced so far.

In the heat of the moments like this, you just want to get it over with, but then you're going to end up having to pay for it later if you give up, so you have no choice but to cram the information in your brain if one day to understand this material. What does a grade show? Your success in academics? Sure, but It doesn't show the effort it took for you to get that.

Generally when my college level class, at my school sees a B then they instantly think that the person who has that B is bad at whatever the grade is for. That was the case when our chemistry teacher accidentally opened up one of our classmate's grades and revealed that she had a B in chemistry and an A+ in EVERYTHING. She was so ashamed of it and everyone was murmuring or whispering to their friends about their opinions on her grades. Meanwhile if my grades had been opened up my reputation would have been completely destroyed because I have a final grade of B for mostly every class, with fluctuations like a D in one quarter but an A in another. This shows how grades can become your social status.

I've realized that stressing over an assignment at the last minute is just wrong, I should have done this way before, but taking most of your time to get an A on your report card should not be a necessity either. With a typical all A's person I believe that they think they will get into a the best colleges with just their academic accomplishments, but if you had not known, grades alone won't get you into the best colleges. You have to have persistence in something, a motivation. Otherwise you will just be a good student.

Having bad grades and a motivation to do something epic in life is better than getting much better grades in the four years of your life that you attend a highschool. At the point I am right now, I want to pursue my love to undo the toll humanity has taken on the earth's environment. I want to become an environmental scientist. I will be taking a college level class next year on this material - not because it's an AP, but because I want to. I joined Algebra because it was an honors class, I joined chemistry because it was an AP class. My friends beg me to take AP languistics and AP US history, but I decline. Had I not had this mentality I have written out just now, I would have set myself on the path to self destruction.

Pursue your passion.

Thank you,
Wrys
 
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