“Your grades are really important, if you don’t get good grades you won’t be able to get into any good college.” Many have always grown up hearing that always put your grades first and work hard right now and you’ll enjoy it later. But is that really the case?

More than 20% of teens have experienced at least one major depressive episode. These numbers are on the rise as are the expectations to perform well in everything. Often students seek ways to cheat on tests just so that they can be able to compete with other kids their age. Teachers often take cheating as a result of laziness or any other reason, which can be true to some extent, however, not all the time. “The general idea I get from teachers is that they think the context is important but there is so much emphasis and pressure put on getting good grades which is frustrating,” said Sydney Pottebaum. 

“When students cheat on exams, it’s because our school system values grades more than students’ learning,” said Neil deGrasse Tyson. Due to the misconceptions of society, students go out of their way to make sure they are the “perfect” student, whether it be sacrificing social life, sleep, or any other enjoyable things. But if you go to ask a student whether they remember what they learned in class, most likely they will reply that “not much.” The students who answered are considered to be the brightest in the class and even the future of the country, though, these praises only last as long as the student keeps getting A’s on tests and having 4.0 GPAs. 

Every student has their own talents and abilities that no one else except for themselves can be best at, however, often these talents are overlooked. Students spend the most important time of their lives chasing a common goal, a college acceptance letter. Because of the constant pressure of working to achieve that one goal, students don’t develop passions or special talents. For students, the school has become an endless cycle of going through the same daily routine, completing tests, and completing homework in free time. Often students forgot to appreciate themselves for who they are and spend more time comparing themselves to the smartest students in their class. Students don’t get the opportunity of building good life skills, discovering their true identity, or learning to bounce back up from a failure.  

The ideal image of a “perfect” student that has been created by society is like a tree whose seed was planted when they were young and continues to grow throughout their lives. But students don’t let society decide your capabilities. Nobody can live your life better than you, so work hard and achieve your dreams. You don’t need a college degree to live your dream, all you need is to trust yourself and your capabilities. Make sure to do your best in school and everything else but also make sure to enjoy the time you have. Each student has their own abilities and talents and no school system defines that based on their grades.