I am a human being tied down by stress all because of an insatiable thirst for perfect grades. My life is characterized by dark under-eye circles, many hours of lost sleep, and a permanent knot that sits in my stomach. You see, receiving an A is like being awarded with the Medal of Honor; all of the torture I put myself through when completing assignments is worth it if my professor gives me that Holy Grail grade. I don't remember the first moment I became obsessed with receiving top marks. Maybe it was my first day of elementary school, where society took its iron fist and pounded the letter-grade system into my head so hard that I began measuring my self-worth and intelligence with mere symbols. But I digress.

Needless to say, if I ever got anything lower than an A, I was crushed. It made me genuinely afraid for my future; how could I get into college or secure a job if I didn't have a 4.0? I slaved away all of my high school years and my freshman year in college because I thought that by having a 4.0, I was going to go somewhere in life. I was going to be somebody.

And that's the problem. I wasn't aiming to learn; I was simply aiming for a letter that proved I was the best of the best. If you asked me about any of the subject material I had learned in any of the classes I received an A in, I doubt I would be able to remember anything I had learned. That's because the quality of our lives is determined by the grades we receive, rather than by our passion for knowledge.

That is a waste of the education I am so lucky to receive every day. So I decided it was time to untangle myself from the ropes that tethered me so tightly to the ground in order to let my mind fly free. I wanted to aim for progression, rather than perfection. I wanted to improve myself and feel confident in my knowledge and abilities rather than look good on a transcript. At the end of the day, what's more important? Superficial symbols or a knowledgeable mind?

So when I received a B this past week on one of my assignments, I didn't hyperventilate. I didn't think I was stupid or inadequate. I took it as a starting point on a journey of self-improvement and education. I was going to work on my skills in order to better myself and gain the necessary wisdom. I already proved to myself that I was capable of learning; all I had to do was to foster that ability into passion that I could use to better myself as a student and as a person.

I urge all of you exhausted, stressed-out college students to progress, rather than perfect. Educate your mind to learn valuable knowledge and skills, not to look good on a piece of paper. In the end, what you have in your head will get you farther.