"Age doesn't define maturity, grades don't define intellect, and rumors don't define a person's character."

It’s the halfway point of the first semester. Great friends have been made, clubs have been joined, professors are nice, and the famous school of choice is everything it was made out to be. In a perfect world, that’s all that would matter in the life of a college student. Unfortunately, no such world exists.

It’s no secret that college is the place where people go to further their education. It’s also no secret that the competition and comparisons are heightened, because now the top of every high school’s class learns at the same place. Sometimes, people take the challenge by storm and easily rise to the occasion. Other times, college may really knock a person off their feet. The student who once earned all A’s every year since kindergarten may have earned their first B. It may not seem like a big deal from the outside, but to that person, it seems like the end of the world. A situation like this among others can cause college to become a place of great discouragement.

Every day is a constant battle to get the best grades and maintain the perfect GPA. This has become such a normality of college life that on campus counselors are seeing an influx of students in their offices each year. More students now than ever before are being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and most of them will tell you that the root of their problems is their grades. Even as I sit here writing this, I’m anxiously dreading the next assignment that I have to complete. After receiving less than average grades on two major assignments, I’ve really found myself questioning how I even got into college, and whether or not I should stay.

Telling someone that they’re smart, articulate, well-informed, and well-rounded means virtually nothing anymore if there isn’t a good grade to solidify those claims. People are so quick to belittle compliments from others, and very reluctant to remind themselves of their positive qualities. It’s become a widespread epidemic among college students, and the effects are so unfortunate. Very rarely do we take the time to assess ourselves outside of the grading scale, causing us to miss the bigger picture. Life is so much more than assignments and grades. Life is about the relationships we have with people, the hobbies and passions that we enjoy, the memories that we make. And while yes, grades do matter, they are in no way the final definition of a person.

After college, the grades that were made become less important. While having a 4.0 is a great accomplishment in life, a person's character is valued more. As people who are just a few short years away from being out in the real world, it’s important to ask ourselves these questions:

Do I treat people nicely?

Am I a good friend?

Do I listen to understand?

Do I help others?

Do I embrace my passions?

Do I use those passions to help better the world?

If the answer to at least one of these questions is yes, then it shows just how small grades are in the grand scheme of things. The kids you coach at practice don’t care if you made a C on your paper. The person you gave directions to is merely impressed that you know your way around such a big city. Your professors like you because you’re polite, and you ask questions every chance you get. Character still counts in this society, and the most lasting impressions are made by people who care about making the world a better place.

Right now, grades may seem like the most important thing in life. Ten years from now, those grades will be history, and we’ll all feel so silly for beating ourselves up over something so minuscule. Besides being able to memorize subjects for a test, everyone has a unique gift that the world needs. Actively pursuing and sharing these talents outshines any grade that we could ever receive.

For all the struggling college students out there, you're going to make it.