As students, we are constantly caught up in the idea that getting good grades will get us a good job leading us into eventually a good life to settle down with. While we go to school to get degrees and then an occupation doing what we strive to do, it is simple for us to overlook and forget everything else that life has to offer. We have these amazing opportunities to attend school and further our education, but we have to remember the other amazing opportunities that life offers as well.
Exams stress all of us out; we never know if we studied too much or not enough. We don't get sleep or are in too much of a panic to sleep at all when there is an exam the next day. The exam grades don't define us and while we all want to do well, it is OK to take a step back. Do you and study when you can, but don't let this consume you from living your life outside of the classroom. It is important to study and to do the best that you can, but if you do poorly on an exam, do not let that overtake you. Don't fret about it; it won't help. We all do it anyways, but we don't have to.
So you didn't do well on an exam or two in that one class that has been difficult, will that matter in a few years? Will you even remember what the class was? It matters now, yes, but in a few years, you will not remember that one exam that you spent weeks being upset about. It's a grade and it is not defining who we are. We do our best, which is what matters. While we're fighting so hard to do well in school and letting one simple bad grade destroy us, we are forgetting everything that is more important, like the parts of life that will matter years from now.
We are young and need to take into account what we are capable of and what we are able to do. There are an infinite amount of adventures out there that we could go and experience. There is so much to look forward to and life all around us to enjoy. This one exam grade that you're letting dampen your mood every day is over and done with; it is not worth worrying about. There's always next time and each time you can tell yourself that you'll try a little harder and do a little better. As long as the idea of perfect grades consumes our mindsets, we will be held too much on it.
So, will that exam grade matter years from now? It won't, so just keep trying your best and you'll prove to yourself that you're better than that number.
“As you work to become a better student, remember that learning is far more important than the numbers on your transcript. I know it can be hard sometimes to remember what you're in school for. In some places, students go crazy over a tenth of a point - but this is an unhealthy and unsustainable way to manage your education. The real reason you're in school is to grow as a person and fulfill your potential.”
“Don't forget that your happiness is the most important thing and that you should never equate your GPA or school with your sense of self-worth...If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and remind yourself that you are not your grades.”