There’s two times this year that have (and will be) purposely be avoiding all social media: election time and the week after finals. A week or two after completing finals, my Facebook news feed is usually flooded with screenshots of people’s grades for the semester, or statuses about what their GPAs were. DISCLAIMER: I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments thus far. One thing I think every college student can agree on is that college is tough. There really are endless lessons college teaches: time management, balance, maintaining stress levels, etc. The fact that you have set the goal of completing a degree and you are one semester closer to achieving it is nothing to be ashamed of. That is not my point.
When I think back to high school, I remember feeling this underlying tone: competition. It makes sense; you’re taking the same required courses as your classmates, your schedules similar, you’re coming and going from school at the same times each day, etc. Most of us had a goal of getting into college, and we all were taking the same courses and had similar requirements to get there. Not saying judgement is okay or our lives were ever fair and completely equal, but it was easy to be comparative in high school. What I simply cannot fathom, is why we carried this sense of competition into college. To me, when you’re completing a college degree, you are an individual setting personal goals for yourself that make sense to you. No university is the same as another; no program at a university is the same as another, and no two classes within the same university are even the same. None of our goals are similar, our schedules are all different, we prioritize differently, and we set different standards of what we even consider to be “success”.
The point of social media is not to be competitive, I understand that. But by posting grades it feels like one seeks some type of reassurance that they’re doing well in life, and are on the “right” track. They’re expecting relatives and friends to be impressed, and to probably comment on their achievements. But in reality, there is not a comparison to be made. Someone’s 2.3 GPA could be the best one they’ve gotten so far in college. Someone’s 3.6 could mean they’re on the verge of being kicked out of their program if they don’t get better grades next semester. Someone’s 2.0 could be their rock bottom; someone’s 3.8 could be someone else’s.
This year has been considerably difficult for countless people in my life, myself included. Students, please remember to take those struggles into account and give yourself some credit. Everyone, do not forget the importance of setting short term goals as well as larger milestones, and rewarding yourself for achieving even the smallest of achievements; I don’t care whether it’s being sober for a day, going to bed at a decent time for once, or acing that class. The reason I ultimately feel so strongly about this, is because I’ve been on the other side, judging people for their posts. I remember saying to myself on many occasions “well they’re in an easy program at Del Tech Community College, they SHOULD be getting a 3.8.” I vow to myself to not only refuse to feel and think this way anymore, but also not look for reassurance from others as to if I’m doing “well” or not. We do not know the stories of others on social media, or even those who sit next to you in class. It does not matter how much you may think your lives are similar, they likely are not. Diversity is what makes us unique, and beautiful. The fact that we may not all approach situations the same way is an incredible thing. I encourage us all to reflect on our own goals and standards for ourselves, and remember that how we view ourselves is all that matters.
