With this semester’s results being released next Monday, we thought that it’s a good time to remind ourselves about how grades are actually… not the most important thing in life. It may be hard to believe, living in an Asian society that is competitive and achievement-oriented. Grades did have quite a significant role in determining our life’s path up until now – which secondary schools or JCs we went to, which university and courses we would be admitted to – but being too caught up with them may cause us to lose sight of the real important things in life.
First of all, let’s be grateful for what we have.
Health. Family. Friends. Those are the things that many people who are less fortunate than us don’t have the privilege to enjoy. Would you really want to trade those for good grades? Instead of worrying too much about grades, we should take a step back and be grateful for what we have; for the things that actually matter, but often taken for granted. Because when you are sick, heartbroken, or depressed, no amount of As would help you – but your friends and family are the ones who will be there for you. So count your blessings and if you have people in this world who love you, keep in mind that you are very lucky!
Remember other things you can be proud of.
Despite the effort that has been put in to promote the idea of a holistic education, we cannot deny that there is still a strong emphasis on grades and academic achievements in Singapore. We need to constantly remind ourselves to not cave to societal or peer pressure, which may lead us to undermine other non-academic skills and achievements that we may have. Which brings us to the question: what other skills do you have? For example, have you done anything this semester aside from studying, that benefits yourself and those around you? What are your hobbies, and have you introduced your friends to them? What about simply being there for someone you care about? Even things like being a good friend is something that you should be proud of. Not getting the grades that you expected (or are expected to get) should not make you feel less about yourself because there’s so much more to who you are. As cliché as it sounds, you are not defined by a mere few letters or numbers.
Your grades are by no means an indication for future success/failure, no matter how you define success.
We all have different ideas of what success means to us. Some may measure it by the amount of wealth that they have, others may care more about simply being happy or making a difference in the world. Whatever it is, our grades don’t determine whether or not we are going to achieve our goals in the future (unless of course your goals are entirely academic, and if so, do keep at your grades!).
You’ve probably heard of successful people who previously did horribly in school. Even Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything”. Bill Gates failed some of his exams. So who’s to say that you can’t do anything just because you have poor results in school? As long as you keep your passion and determination burning, bad grades are nothing but a little stumbling block along the way. Same goes for good results too – they don’t guarantee future success, especially in the long run.
Just enjoy the present moment a.k.a. your university life.
We are young! Instead of worrying too much about what happened in the past and what’s going to happen in the future, we should make the best of the present moment and of what’s supposed to be the best years of our lives. We’re not saying that you should party all night and don’t give a single hoot about school, but grades should not dictate your University experience all the time. There’s so much you can try and learn while you’re here – don’t squander the time worrying and thinking of what could have been. This is probably the last time you can experiment with anything you’ve thought of pursuing, without permanent consequences before you go into the workforce. This is also when you will make friends for life and most importantly, enjoy three-month holidays! You will probably not remember the module you got a B- for 10 years from now, but you’ll probably regret not trying out for that CCA because you were too busy worrying. So make full use of your time – you don’t want to realise how good you have it only once it’s over.
All that said, we wish you all the best for your results this semester! And have a great Summer holiday! 🙂