First, I want to say that I understand that grades are important. I know that, in some cases, parents are helping us pay for college and want us to give them what they pay for, but sometimes it is too much.

College is fun, and it is a time where we need to have fun and relax.

There are some people, not me, that can sit and study for hours on end and can ace every test they are given. School is hard. Period.

Grades of every kind are bound to happen and the school system changes all the time so do not expect us to get the same grades you did.

There is endless help on campus but even if we seek it out, that does not mean we will automatically pass with flying colors. There is so much work that goes into that "C" or "D", not to mention a higher grade. Some classes are much harder than others and we will not have the same grades we did freshman year.

I am not telling you to accept an "F", but try to understand. This semester, in my case, kicked my butt and then dragged me behind a running tractor trailer.

It was just all around rough with some professors not willing to work with me. I tried my hardest like many students do each semester, and I did not turn out with optimal grades.

It weighs on us, as students, enough to deal with whatever grades we had so we do not need you, our parents, to ride our backs about it.

We get it. You care about our grades and want us to succeed but sometimes the pressure is too much. I want encouragement all days, not just when I get an "A".

Parents put so much pressure and emphasis on grades that I sometimes forget that they don't really matter. Your future employer will not be looking at your grades, maybe your GPA, but not what you got in XYZ class.

College is so hard and having the extra pressure to achieve whatever grade is crazy and harmful. I beat myself up all finals week and before because I wanted a certain grade that I had to push myself to get and it was almost detrimental.

I had a hard time separating myself from school when I was at my apartment or work. I would take it out on my kids at work and my boyfriend who all did not deserve it and then I would stress out more.

We know that grades are important but the emphasis that is placed on them now is almost too great for the payout. If employers looked at our letter grades, that would be one thing, but they don't.

We are kicking ourselves to please our parents who put so much behind these grades that it is killing us. We are living our lives refreshing the Blackboard page just to see when and if our grades are uploaded and I am so done with that.

Grades are important to an extent, but parents, focus on your child themselves. Are they eating right and getting exercise? How is their mental health? Are they having roommate issues or friend drama? Are they involved? Do they like or still like college? Did something major happen that they aren't talking about? What are they stressed about? Focus on the kid, not the grade.