Why grades might not matter as much as you think

It is drummed into us from an early age that getting good grades is the be all and end all, we worry about parent teacher interviews and freak out when we know our reports are on the way to our parents in the mail. But what does “getting a good job” and “setting yourself up for the real world” actually truly mean? While I’m by no means under valuing the importance of University and getting a degree I do think that good grades are not the be all and end all of life. I think while wrapping ourselves up in caring to much about good grades we are missing the point of education. Education should be about finding what you love, knowing yourself better, striving for success and getting yourself ready for adulthood.

Constantly getting told that you are below average or not doing your best when you know in your heart of hearts you are can be crushing for young adults, it doesn’t put you on the path of success, instead it kills your morale and motivation in the classroom. Grades have their place, they’re a necessary part of education - what they aren’t, is a necessary part of self-esteem. You simply cannot measure your personal worth based on one sheet of set, standardised material. 

How can one test measure your intelligence, overall abilities and street smarts? While content and criteria changes yearly the overall point is the same, how well are you learning from that teacher? Everyone receives and processes information differently and we know that people also learn in different way and at different paces so how can a blanket test give you the right understanding of how you are actually doing at school?

I’m in no way disgracing those who do get amazing grades, props to you, you are incredibly awesome and many of us wish we could do that. But to those who feel they aren’t enough, you can’t let others successes tarnish your sparkle. School is meant to educate, it’s not about the tests we take, the grades we receive, the assignments we finish, it is about the knowledge and growth you gained while at school. Depending on the field of work you go into after school or Uni most employers won’t even look at your HSC grades or ask to see your degree because what matters to them is practical knowledge.

There is no point hiring you just because you got an A+ on your finance final but you can’t manage a team or you are not personable in the office. Schooling is a huge, big, wide net that encompasses not only what grades you got but how much you learnt about yourself and lie along the way. Others successes are not, and never will be your failures. Do not let another’s life or a teacher that dislikes you ruin your time at school. Work hard, study harder and leave school with the tools needed for a long and happy career in a field that you love.