Let me begin by saying that grades are important. This article is not meant to urge you to give up trying in school and to completely let go of your motivation to do well. However, I am here to tell you that you shouldn’t stress about your homework or your grades to the point where you literally have a panic attack and think of yourself as a failure. That is certainly not a healthy place to be.

I have always been a good student. I have worked hard for my grades, and I have spent countless hours perfecting my work before turning it in. Through all of the success, though, there have been so many times where I have broken down and cried simply because I have been so stressed about everything that I have to get done.

In these moments, I tell myself that I am a failure and that I will never get anywhere in life. This only makes me even more upset, and then I am in no place to complete any work. If you are telling yourself that you are a failure, this is simply not true. There may be areas in your life where you aren’t as competent as others, but this does not mean that you have no way of becoming successful.

Many people believe that grades reflect one’s intelligence. Although this may be true in some cases, getting good or bad grades does not reveal how smart you are as an individual. Yes, grades do reflect your ability to perform well academically. However, they do not determine your future or how much overall knowledge that you contain.

Succeeding well academically is only a small part of life. So what if you fail one test or get a bad grade on an assignment? Life goes on, and you have the ability to work hard in order to raise your grades, if need be. However, if you ever get to a point where you are so overwhelmed with work that you break down, then you need to stop worrying so much and take some time for yourself.

You may be saying that you don’t have time to relax. You have to finish all of your assignments. But taking time to take care of yourself is so vital, and most of the time, it allows your mind to calm down and focus on the next tasks that need to be completed.

A high GPA may be what many employers look at, but you have to remember that you have so much more to offer than a number on a transcript. Just because someone has a fantastic grade point average does not mean that they are more likely to get a job or to succeed. Grades do matter, but so does your personal health and social life. Take time to do your best in school, but also remember that doing well academically is not worth having a mid-life crisis in your 20s. Work hard, but also remember to take care of yourself.