Numbers Are Not Your Self-Worth by Krista

Numbers Are Not Your Self-Worth by Krista - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

If I could offer one piece of advice for younger students, it would be to remember that your grade point average, sat score, report cards, class rank, or any grading statistic do not determine their self-worth. Students are not their grades, they are much more than that. In our society today, it can be very easy to forget this. I know personally at times I can struggle with this, because of how our society is structured. Repeatedly I have seen students get upset over one bad grade, and often times they are made fun of or labeled “emotional.” But I think students should know that this is not their fault and it is not true. Society has placed a ridiculous amount of pressure on young adults. For the first quarter of our lives, we are striving for straight A’s, a 4.0, valedictorian, and a perfect score on the SATs. We are all striving for numbers that will not even appear on our resume after graduation. Although I believe having these goals is important, I do not think it should come at the expense of what a student feels they are worth.
I am a college freshman, and only once in all my years in the education system have I had one professor say to me, “You are not the grade you got.” Honestly, I had never thought about this until one professor had the right mind to say this. Students should strive for these goals but they should not strive for them with the idea that they are working to define themselves. A perfect grade point average and sat score are great achievements and have value when applying to college. I am not saying students should not strive for these, as I know very well it does help students get into exceptional universities. But as a society, whether it is through family or professors or both need to drive a wedge between these statistics and how we define ourselves as people. They are not the same thing!
We are all too complex and wonderful to think that our identity can be summed up within a few numbers. So, to younger students: Strive to be the best that you can be in your education. Set high school and college goals, but do not define your self-worth by any number. You are much more than that.