This article could probably have been better suited for pre-exams, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who uses summer break to get down on myself for not getting grades that are to my high standards over the school year.

I attended an academically demanding all-girls high school, so I have a natural tendency to do whatever means necessary for good grades, even if that means toeing the line of my mental breaking point. But this past school year, I had to force myself to learn (ironic, right?) that there are far more important things than getting straight A's, in spite of knowing I am very capable of it.

My assault almost resulted in dropping out of college because I lost any motivation for academics, but I knew that to do that would be to give him more power over me, and I wasn't about to let him win. He doesn't get to control any other part of my life. So, I stubbornly began classes in the fall after taking off the first week of school. It was a challenge balancing mental health with that urge to over-achieve, but I had to make a deal with myself that if I'm to stay in school, grades are no longer going to be a first priority, or second or even third.

To clarify, that's not to say we shouldn't all make appropriate efforts to do well in school. I'm only offering a gentle reminder that a 4.0 GPA will hold almost no significance down the road. So, here are a just a few things that should come before grades.

1. Managing anxiety and PTSD

This comes first just because I have been diagnosed with both and, therefore, can speak from personal experience. I struggled getting up for classes every morning because classrooms made me anxious and felt imprisoning. It's also difficult for me to be in large crowds of people for extensive periods. A room full of students I didn't know gave me that added fear of being attacked again. For people who don't know, it's almost crippling, the damage these two disorders can cause. There were some instances I had to be escorted out because it became too much to handle, so I made sure to warn my professors there would be times I would not be present.

2. Managing depression

This goes for other mental illnesses, as well. I know many people who live with depression, so I know sometimes getting out of bed in the morning seems almost impossible. From what I have observed, it's usually difficult to motivate someone to even leave the house if they are heavily depressed, not to mention socializing or doing well in school. If things start to feel overwhelming, always remember that your mental health should come before plunging yourself into the stress of getting an A. A B in the class and far less nights of crying yourself to sleep, for example, sounds so much better anyway.

3. Relationships

This one is pretty self-explanatory. People are more important that a few pen strokes on a piece of paper. You shouldn't have to sacrifice a relationship or necessary time with friends and family because you're too busy studying every night for eight hours. Being around people a healthy amount is part of how humans stay sane. So, if you've been studying for five nights in a row for that corporate finance exam, go ahead and let yourself go out or go home over the weekend without feeling guilty that you could have been "productive."

4. Self-care

You don't need to have a mental illness to be affected by the stress of school. It happens to all of us. I told myself the beginning of exam week fall semester I wouldn't overdo studying. But, of course, I let my natural tendency get the best of me. Sure, I wound up acing every final I took, but I also landed myself lots of extra time with my counselor those weeks after, three sleepless nights, five mental breakdowns and a case of hives. I was not taking care of myself. The moment you start to become physically or mentally ill, you know it's time to take a step back.

5. Making an impact

This past semester, I got heavily involved in sexual assault activism in my community. I found myself staying up late at night and being frantically busy all day, but instead of getting stressed, I excelled in the midst of it. It's because I found something I could put my heart into that actually made me happy to busy myself with. If you find that "something" that makes you happy and makes a difference, don't feel bad about giving it more of your time than your classes. Both are resume builders, but only one of them actually matters in the long run.

6. Actually learning

I know I'm not the only one who sometimes crams for exams and then forgets everything the moment I walk out of the test. I've noticed that our society, as a whole, makes too much of an emphasis on grades, as if we're in school just to get a certain grade and not to retain knowledge we'll use the rest of our lives. If we focused more on actually learning material rather than just getting that A, I feel as though we would ultimately benefit much more.

I know it's summer time for most of us, but I hope you can apply this to future semesters and perhaps get some validation that, if you struggle balancing school with more pressing aspects of life, you certainly are not alone.