As a college student, it becomes so easy to get wrapped up in grades, GPAs, and how you fall in your classes amongst your peers. When looking at interviewing for jobs, everyone thinks it’s so incredibly important how intelligent you are and how you stack up against the other candidates. We worry about going to the best college, getting the best education, and working to our absolute full capacity all the time. Many high school and college students claim to have many school-related panic attacks and stay up until all hours of the night working and worrying. Is it healthy for children and teenagers to feel this amount of stress over a simple letter?
Our society tells us that in order to be successful, we must be intelligent. This means straight As, valedictorian, the whole deal. This could not be more incorrect because there is so much more to a human than just how intelligent they are. Yes, good grades look impressive to employers, but being a good person gives people more of an advantage than they will ever really know. Employers can see right through the mask and want to work with people who will make their lives easier, not more difficult. No A in a high school or college class will give someone the skills they need to be a good human being.
When we are little, our parents tell us that as long as we are good people, nothing else will matter in the end. We laugh it off and tell them they are just saying that because they are our parents. It’s their job to say things like that, but in all honesty, it’s true. People want to work with people they get along with — individuals who are kind, funny, caring, and also good a what they do. I recently read somewhere that you can teach someone skills, but you can’t teach someone empathy and kindness. Just because someone might be number one in the class, doesn't mean that they are the most liked or they are going to go the farthest.
Now I am not saying to not try your hardest, I'm saying to just be who you are. Never let your desire for success outrank the things you love the most. So next time you are stressing about grades, GPA’s, and class ranks, remember that as important as those things are, it’s equally as important to be a good person. Make sure people see the good side of you, I promise it will take you far.
