Many students in high school stay up late into the night studying and doing homework just to keep their grades above a passing level. Yes, it’s great that people are trying hard, but most of the time it is not for the right reasons or in the right ways.

Many people have so much pressure on them from teachers, coaches, friends, and family to keep their grades perfect and they think if they mess up a little and their grades slip its the end of the world. Our grades should not make us cry and make our mental health as bad as it does.

Feeling this way is not “normal high school.” It’s ruining us. We are always told never to care what others think, but then our whole life is depending on what other people think about our work. Even art classes are becoming a struggle as some people don’t create art the way everyone wants them to even though it is supposed to be a way to express yourself.

Being perfect is an unrealistic standard that many high school students, especially student athletes, hold themselves to. The pressure of sports and grades alone is too much for most students to handle then on top of that you have family time, jobs, friends and other activities and clubs you may be involved in.

Many people have started to use AI more and more because they are so scared to fail. Grades defining us is effecting the effort we put in and the way we apply ourselves. Many students would rather learn nothing and pass then struggle some and get the right education because grades are so pressuring.

Grades should NOT define us; we are so much more then what our grades show.