Yes, grades are important. There's nothing wrong with taking pride in school work. At the same time, there is so much more that you can get out of college.

1. Your experiences.

Your internship experiences or organizational experiences are going to prepare you way more for the real world than getting good grades will.

2. Your friends and family.

Your family and friends are forever. Those relationships are worth investing the time and energy into.

3. Your health.

You have a whole life ahead of you beyond college. Learn to start taking care of your body, because it's the only one you've got.

4. Giving back to your community.

Service and volunteering can provide so much joy in your life, and it's a way to make a positive impact on people that live alongside you. Maybe you'll even travel and go make a difference miles away.

5. Traveling and experiencing the world.

Nothing teaches you more about life, culture, and who you are than traveling and immersing yourself in something different than what you know.

6. Getting to know yourself and your worth.

Knowing who you are and what matters to you allows you to focus on how to use that in life to go where you want to go. Valuing yourself and believing in yourself is no small thing.

7. Deciding what your priorities are.

Figuring out how you want to use your education and experiences matters. Here's the thing- I don't think we ever stop trying to figure it out.

8. Actually learning.

Retaining the information you gain is probably a good thing. You do that, and the grades will probably follow anyway.

9. Establishing relationships with your professors.

Sometimes you can even learn a lot more from a conversation with a professor over a cup of tea than in the classroom. They want to get to know you, too. Maybe you'll have your own Mr. Feeny.

10. Producing quality school work-and being proud of it.

If you feel good about what you've accomplished in an essay or project, you can be proud of it regardless of what grade you end up with.

11. Getting involved in your campus community.

Being a part of campus organizations will teach you how to interact and work with people professionally, give you an opportunity to try to make campus life even better, and lets you actually do something you're passionate about.

12. Quality time with friends.

13. Sleep.

14. Making time for yourself.

Sometimes you need some downtime and stress relief. Do it for you.

15. Doing something you love.

16. Finding the time to try something new.

17. Taking risks.

18. Loving people.

19. Treating people kindly.

20. Knowing how to get around campus.

If you can't even find the classroom, you definitely won't get a good grade anyway.

21. Knowing the positive things about your school and helping contribute to that legacy.

22. Standing up for what you believe in.

23. Being your own advocate.

24. Learning how to effectively manage money.

Learning how to manage money early is a skill, and takes energy and discipline. Your future self will thank you.

25. Taking some ownership and responsibility of your life.

26. Going on midnight Walmart or Steak N Shake runs while you have the freedom.

27. Being vulnerable and honest.

If you feel something for someone, tell them. Don't waste time over-thinking.

28. Making college a home away from home.

29. Calling your parents.

They want to hear from you and know that you're OK.

30. Studying.

31. Learning to cook.

32. Learning the value of grocery shopping as opposed to eating out.

Grocery shopping costs less and it can be just as good as restaurant food, if not better. Those midnight Walmart runs are a blast, anyway.

33. Being intentional and genuine in college relationships.

34. Being a valuable group member in a group project.

You don't want to be that group member that people hate. Working in groups is a life skill, whether we like it or not.

35. Learning time management.

36. Getting a planner.

37. Caring for others well through your own love language.

38. Supporting your friends in what they do.

It will mean the world to them.

39. Actively advocating for a worthy cause you believe in.

Some causes are worth fighting for. From helping raise money for cancer research to supporting underrepresented groups of people to get them justice, there are so many causes out there that could use your attention.

40. Enjoying college. It doesn't last forever.

College is the best time of your life. Make it count. Care about your GPA, but it certainly isn't everything.