Opinion | A single letter grade won’t define you

Olivia Harden
Opinions Editor

It’s that time of the year again, and I am stressed.

The last two weeks of the semester are always jam-packed with entirely too much to do. It’s time to catch up if you’re behind on any assignments. There are always a million and one end-of-the-year events to attend, and the fast pace of what has already been a long semester can get you swept up in stress.

These last few weeks are all about multi-tasking between closing out one semester and making sure there are plans in place for what’s coming up next.

With finals approaching, it can be easy to allow that stress to pile on even further, but it’s important to remember that a single letter grade in a class ultimately will not define you.

There’s a lot that can go on in the duration of a semester. While academic success is important, it’s important to remember that it is not the only facet of our lives that should be a priority. Several factors play into how successful we are as college students.

Of course I want to get good grades. I spend a lot of money to be on this campus, and when I leave, I want to be able to find a job in the field I spent so much time working to get a degree for. I’m not writing this to say that employers don’t care about grades, because in fact, they do. In 2015, Forbes Magazine said that 67 percent of major companies look at GPAs. But it’s not the only factor that employers look for.

Extracurriculars, leadership positions and even just life experience can come into play when a company is looking at a candidate. Also, a lower grade in one or two classes is only so incremental when looking at the bigger picture of your college experience and even your GPA. A three-credit class is only worth so much when you need 120 credits to graduate.

It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of finals week, and become so concerned with other people’s study habits and tendencies. Personally, I hate studying in the library. The tension and silence starts to get to me and it it absolutely exhausting. I do better in loud, obnoxious group study sessions in which my classmates and I are coming up with ridiculous ways to retain the material.

Sometimes, finals go really well, and sometimes, they don’t go that well at all. Sometimes, we put all this effort into wanting to do the absolute best we can, and it just doesn’t pan out the way we want it to.

That’s OK.

It’s OK that life gets the best of us sometimes. We’re only human. Realistically, all any student can do is give the best effort in their capacity. Our capacities vary because of factors outside of intelligence. Sometimes, the things happening around us are going to get in the way of our academic success.

In the meantime, do what you can to keep the stress down. Go to Midnight Breakfast, run freely at Undie Run, take naps when necessary, drink lots of water and stay healthy. A single test or project is not worth your sanity. Study hard and do your best, but don’t kill yourself in the process.