Written by Jude Bokovoy

Welcome to midterm season. For some students, this season is just as stressful as a typical week, but for many it can be one of the most stressful parts of the term. It can be easy to allow grades to have a chokehold on one’s life or identity, whether it’s from massive amounts of homework or one’s ideal final grade for a course. Let these affirmations ease one’s outlook on the college grading system.

One’s not alone. It is incredibly easy to fall into putting one’s self worth into their grades. In the college setting, most people want to get “good” grades, usually an A or a B depending on the person. But in reality, a “good” grade should only measure whether one is truly learning. Enjoying oneself should be a part of the learning experience. When getting an eight out of ten, people naturally gravitate to the incorrect answers instead of acknowledging the ones they got correct. 

It’s good to be challenged. There may be some terms where one doesn’t get on the Dean’s list and that is okay. It can be hard to remember that college is not supposed to be easy. College is the ideal time to challenge oneself by taking hard courses, and that could mean that one will barely pass. This is okay. Some of the most enjoyable courses can end with the worst grades. Don’t be petrified by a hypothetical bad grade. Take the daunting course. 

Grades do not measure how much one understands the material. Most times, professors are unable to memorize each of their students’ preferred learning styles. Sometimes one will get a bad grade on an assignment in their favorite class. This does not mean that they don’t understand the material, it just means that the assignment wasn’t formatted in a way that matches their understanding. 

Students are often their own worst critics. The only person that is affected by one’s grades is oneself. No one asks about grades in the workplace, not even one’s accumulated GPA. It is one’s personal responsibility to set their own goals — whether it is barely sliding by, driven by the saying “D’s get degrees,” or shooting for presidential honors. College is already hard, try not to make it any more difficult by oneself to unachievable standards.

Get some distractions. Encouraging words may not be enough to get one’s mind off of their current assignment scores. Getting occupied with one’s passions is the perfect way to decompress. Distractions could be anything from joining a club to doing something spontaneous. Whatever it is, it is much better than wasting time worrying about one’s grades.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu