“Get good grades, you need to go to college!” “Stop playing those games and go study.” “You will be rewarded when you grow up.”

As kids, I’m sure we’ve all heard those lines from our parents. More pressure is continually being added on by our parents, peers, counselors, and teachers to get good grades. This world is becoming increasingly reliant on a piece of paper called our transcript to determine our entire future. All that really seems to matter is the letter that shows up on that piece of paper. But, trust me, that is not all of who we are. Most of the time I just want to faintly talk about what I like to do or something about myself, but then it leads to a talk about how that can lead to college.

My life is not just about college. Yes, I am trying hard to get into a good one but there’s more to my life than just that. I have hobbies that I would like to enjoy doing without any connection to college.

Don’t get me wrong, I know these parents have the best intentions for us. I love my parents so much and I truly appreciate what they do. But I would like them to know that I know what I’m doing, and I am doing my best.