Dead week and hell week were invented to test just how far we as students are willing to go with to make ourselves barely okay with our GPA's (especially at Georgia Tech). We work for hours on end sometimes forgetting a meal or two before we realize all of that work must be repeated every day up to the exam. The motivation for this all stems from our belief that we're defined by a number.
No matter how many people tell you that numbers don't define you, it doesn't feel true. So many opportunities like internships, acceptances into med schools, and even first jobs depend on your number – your GPA. Something as simple as bombing one final can ruin your GPA you have worked so hard to maintain. Welcome to college.
We do, however, need to remember that if we are happy with the extent of our hard work, our number shouldn't matter. You have done the best you can. Sometimes it may not be enough but other times you may earn exactly what you have worked for. This world is definitely not perfect, but there is a positive correlation with working hard and succeeding (with the one in a million exception, of course).
Moral of the story: If you can say you have done everything you can, even if it is 4 a.m. and you haven't made a dent in what you have to do, then you should look for the positive results. It is those of us who do the bare minimum and get mad at our number who are constantly defined by it.
