Most college students would agree that their number one concern is getting a good grade point average. Whether it be for your own personal goal, for a scholarship that you need to keep, or just to make your self “stand out” for grad school, it crosses a students mind every day especially when final grades are released. We all know the anxiety that is felt moments before the time that grades are released. All semester long after studying long and hard for classes that seem impossible now comes to this point to see how well you did in the class and how it affects your grade point average.
Sometimes you’re very excited and proud of yourself. You feel like you’re on the top of the world and you feel like you can do anything. You passed that class with an A after thinking you didn’t do that well.
But other times, you feel disappointed in yourself. You look at that class and you see the grade that you make and your heart instantly drops. You feel like crying and you feel like you failed yourself, your family, and friends. You tried so hard to just pass that hard class with a C, but you just couldn’t do it.
But I’m here to tell you that you are more than that.
You are more than just a number that is on your transcript.
Does this number tell anyone about who you are as a person? Does it tell anyone about your character? Does it tell people how intelligent you are? Does it in any way tell people about your personality?
The answer to all of those questions is no.
Sure, your grade point average will help you get into the school of your choice, or help you keep that scholarship that you need to afford to go to the school that you love. And it is important to do the very best that you can.
But take a step back and realize, “this number doesn’t define me”. Once you graduate with your degree, how many people ask you what your grade point average was when you were in school? No one. Once you obtain your end goal of getting your degree and working in the career field you’ve been working hard to get to, no one cares anymore how well you did or how long it took you. All that matters is that you got there, and no one can take that away from you.
Outside of school, you are more worthy than just being defined by your grade point average. What really matters is who you are as a person. The person that lies within you. People will not remember you struggling in school, but they will remember the way that you treated them as a friend. They will remember the good times you had while you are in college, not the grades that you made.
They will remember you as the friend they could go to for advice. The person that they knew had their back for anything. The person that would ride with them on spontaneous trips in the middle of the night because they were craving a milkshake really bad that night.
While your grade point average is very important, do not let it run your life. That number does not in any way shape or form define you. Do not compare yourself to others, and only focus on doing your best in your classes and making memories with your friends.
The rest will fall into place, I promise.
