I’m tired of people saying grades don’t matter. I’m tired of listening to students downplay the importance of assignments, and I'm tired of friends encouraging friends to skip class because “it doesn’t matter” or “it’s a waste of time.”

Not all students feel this way, which I'm forever thankful for. The countless scholarships and honor societies prove that there are endless individuals out there who are passionate about school and take it seriously. And there are even more students who say that grades don't matter, but still care about school. It's this negative attitude towards school that's the start of the problem.

Students have many arguments why they think grades aren’t important, but the one I hear the most often is that grades don’t matter because your future employers won’t look at them anyway. All they care about is your internships. While it's true about the internships, they’re still wrong about the grades.

Not every single person who interviews you is going to look at your grades, but some will and grades say more about a student than many realize. Good grades show that you’re passionate, ambitious, and driven. They prove you have a lot of self-motivation, and you don’t need someone on you all the time to get things done. Good grades show that you can not only take criticism, but you can apply and improve upon it. Lastly, good grades show employers that you are good at listening and following instructions.

My own argument to the statement that employers don't care about grades is a bit more personal to me. Whenever someone tells me this, my response will always be, “Well then it’s a good thing my grades are for me then.” And it’s true my grades are for me. I don’t slave into the late hours of the night studying flashcards or get up extra early in the morning to go over my paper one last time for my future boss. I do these things for me. I’m good at school, and I know what I’m capable of. Why, when I know that I can do well, would I accept anything less? What’s important to me is trying my hardest and doing my best.

Now I'm not saying that grades are the most important things in life because they’re not. Spending quality time with your family or creating real connections with others is critical in life. Trying to discover more about who you are and doing things to increase your personal growth is also important. These are undeniably necessary parts of life. What’s not more important than grades, however, is goofing off every night instead of studying or sleeping 90 percent of your life away with naps.

I personally believe that anyone can excel at school. Some people might say, “Oh you’re only saying this because you’re naturally super smart.” I am smart, and it’s because I try so hard that I do well in school not because I was born with some gene that makes learning come easier to me. I work very hard all the time to get the grades I do, and I spend more time on school than anything else and that’s my choice.

Grades matter to me not just because they’re for me, but I see my grades for others too. They’re for future college kids who are scared they’ll fail at university. They’re to show them, and maybe even my own future children, that you can do well even when you feel like you can’t. When I started college, I felt like I might not be smart enough, but because of my hard work, I realized that I was.

I look at school this way, whatever you’re studying is what you want to do with the rest of your life. Hopefully, it means you’re learning about something you’re passionate about. If you’re learning about something you’re passionate about, then shouldn’t you want to know how to do it well and do it right?