“What did you get on the test?” my friend anxiously asked.
That question is frequently asked, not only by my good friend, but by everyone every day in my school. Grades certainly do matter, trust me, but grades do not define you. You’re much more than a GPA or SAT score. Yes, you need a good GPA/SAT or ACT score to get into a good college, but you also need to be personable. You need to have extracurricular activities, and you should have a main hobby. If you’re totally absorbed in studying every day to get that A+ on a test, when are you going to have free time to do stuff you care about?
High school is the foundation to your future. Yes, you should take your academics seriously. You should always push yourself to do better, and it’s okay to be stressed out occasionally; however, it’s also okay to take a break from your academics. Junior year has been a tough year, so putting in a lot of time to study is understandable. After long hours of studying over the weekend, why not go out to eat with your friends Saturday night or have a sleepover?
GPA’s are the focus and obsession of many. Everyone takes classes to "boost their GPA." Students tend to take classes just so they can see their GPA rise, but why suffer through a class that you are not passionate about just to boost your GPA? In my opinion, taking possibly a lower class that you enjoy learning about, like an honors or regular class, makes more sense. People naturally tend to do well in the classes they care about because they don’t mind putting in the time to study the subject.
Mostly every student puts in the time to get a good grade and they usually participate in extracurricular activities, but be honest with yourself, do you do it just because it looks good on college transcripts? If so, ask yourself why put yourself through the torture of going through the motions with no emotion. Have you ever played a sport just to put it on a transcript? Think about it, why play a sport and take someone else’s position, if you’re not interested in the sport? It’s unfair to the coach, team, and other players, and I’m sure that there are many other activities that could interest you.
How introverted or bitter have you become because you decided to stay in the whole weekend to study for a quiz? Yes, it’s understandable to put in long hours to get an A, but if you develop time management, you could begin studying a few days in advance for a few hours. Part of being a ‘star student’ requires being personable and a natural leader. If you can’t get along with your classmates, being in class will be unbearable. Having friends is crucial, especially for girls, during high-school, so if you can’t get along with classmates, you will not get along with anyone.
As I have previously said, GPA’s do not define you. You’re an important person whether you believe it or not.
