Numbers have dominated this generation. Although we are stuck momentarily, we have the potential to escape. It is time that we acknowledge the plethora of ways in which numbers have influenced how certain concepts and ideas must be viewed by not only ourselves, but the individuals surrounding us.

PART TWO

Fascinated with the concept of learning, I developed a strong passion for it. I have always been the type of student that is driven and determined to reach success through my schoolwork. As a perfectionist, I always want to make sure that my projects and papers reflect the hard work, time and effort that I put into creating them. Everything I do, whether it is minor or substantial, is done to the best of my ability.

Growing up, I realized that I strongly dislike the idea of procrastination—as it is a representation of laziness and lack of full potential. Still to this day, I feel the same exact way. Personally, I enjoy making to-do lists and the satisfaction that comes afterwards the completion of my assignments and tasks. Being productive has never been a problem of mine, as I love to stay busy.

Even though I love learning and working on school assignments (for the most part), the only downfall to this are the grades that follow. Receiving grades has been a love-hate relationship for me. I love getting back the scores from my papers and projects, as I usually excel in those categories, but I hate getting back the scores from my exams because the outcome varies depending on the subject.

Since elementary school, I have never been good at mathematics. My third grade teacher often made me stay inside the classroom to work on problem sets instead of going out to play with my friends at recess. Looking back on this, I am always curious as to if this helped me with my math grades or if it actually made them worse. Ever since this began, I have been accustomed to having this mindset that I was not good at mathematics and that I never would be. This mentality followed me into middle school, then to high school and even further into college. No matter how frequently I studied and completed practice problems, it was never enough to get similar grades as to what my peers were earning.

I have always been so intimidated by the subject of mathematics because I have simply never performed well or up to my academic standards there. It has not been my forte whatsoever. The amount of stress and tears that are accompanied by the bad test scores were overwhelming. I was absolutely sick and tired of feeling this way about a silly school subject. All I wanted to earn were good exam scores and positive marks on my assignments, but no matter how hard I worked, the grades never reflected my work ethic.

They were never good enough.

After years of self-doubt and unnecessary stress, something clicked. I realized that I was more than just a number. Although my grades might have not been good enough for my standards sometimes, I was good enough as a person. If anything, I am more than enough.

A number does not represent my ability to communicate and network with individuals.

A number does not represent my gratitude for new opportunities and experiences.

A number does not represent my desire to give back and help others.

A number does not represent my precise attention to detail.

A number does not represent my devotion and dedication.

A number does not represent my authenticity.

A number does not represent my character.

A number does not represent my success.

A number does not represent me.

There is no reason to let one number define who I am as a person, and you should not let numbers continue to define you, either. Whether the number is from your ACT/SAT, your GPA, your class rank, your paper, your homework or your exam, just remember that you have the ability to not let a number hinder you from moving forward. If the number is not what you want it to be, then certainly you can work harder to improve it. But if you are too busy worrying about it to the point that it is beginning to consume your thoughts, it may be time to reconsider if it is worth stressing that much over.

At the end of the day, a number does not have the power to dictate whether or not you are good enough. As long as you are aware of your self-worth and potential to change the world, you are set. You are more than just a number, and you always will be.