EDITORIAL: Its the finals countdown: remember your grades do not define you

‘Tis the season for students to be frantically consulting RogerHub to see how well they have to do on their finals to get the grades they want in their classes. 

Or is it? 

You see, grades aren’t as important as we’re often told. Before you go down the obsessive grade-checking rabbit hole this year, remember that while grades are important, they don’t define you by any means. 

Grades don’t measure your intelligence or capabilities – they only measure how well you performed on specific assignments at specific points in time. They also tend to reflect how many assignments you completed, how much you prepared for exams, and how much effort you put into understanding course material, but that’s about it. 

Put this way, it’s easier to see your grades from a more realistic perspective — they’re only a measurement of what you did, not who you are. 

It can be easy to think that grades mean everything when we grew up in a competitive environment that pushed us to get straight As, take as many honors courses as possible, and make the honor roll. 

This societal pressure causes many students to falsely believe that they’re only worthy of validation and approval when they’re overachieving. 

Graphic by-Abbey Mark

But this could not be further from the truth — you’re worthy enough as you are. You have a unique set of traits, strengths, and quirks that make up who you are, and just the fact that you’re a human being existing on this planet means you’re worthy of love and validation. 

You should never feel like you have to achieve results to prove yourself to other people. If you feel like you’re constantly chasing perfect grades and seeking academic validation, try to step back and ask yourself why. 

Perhaps you had parents and teachers who had high standards for you as a child, or maybe you bury yourself in your schoolwork to avoid coming to terms with feelings of unworthiness, incompleteness, or loneliness. 

Whatever your reasons for overachieving may be, please know that while your accomplishments are admirable and should be celebrated, your value as a person goes far beyond what you can accomplish. 

If your life were a cake, anything you achieve or produce should solely be icing on the cake — the heart of the cake should be loving yourself and others, and living a life true to yourself and your values. 

With this in mind, we encourage you to take a more balanced, realistic approach to schoolwork. Do the best you can at this moment in time, but also make time for rest and relaxation as well — your holistic well-being is much more important than getting good grades. 

Additionally, if you are experiencing any struggles that are interfering with your academic performance, have an honest conversation with your professors if you feel comfortable doing so.

In most cases, professors are more than happy to work with you and want to see you succeed, and they would rather you speak openly about your questions and concerns than shove them under the rug. 

You should also stay in touch with family, friends, and/or support groups at this time. Connecting with people can help you destress, and if you’re having any difficulties, you can confide in them and get the social and emotional support you need.

Take care of yourself, reach out for help, and maybe, just maybe, try not to check RogerHub so much this year.