You are so much more

The end of another term is looming. Finals week is here again. The stresses of the end of the term are enough to make any college student want to rip their hair out. The pressure to do well on your exams and to excel through this last week when the stakes are high is tremendous. There are deadlines hanging over your head every day and your performance during this last week of the term is probably going to make or break your grades for the whole semester. Information is swimming around in your head and your dreams are filled with equation proofs and bullet pointed lists you have spent the day trying to memorize – that is, if you have opted to bypass pulling an all-nighter and are getting any sleep at all.

The pressure cooker

You have been working so hard since September and it all comes down to this week. Making sure your investment of time, energy, and money pays off by proving to your professors that you have actually learned all that you know you have learned over the term creates a pressure cooker full of tension and overwhelm. I know you are buried under work this week. I know you are drowning in your to-do list. You might even be wondering if it is all worth it. Subjecting yourself to the judgement of finals week is not for the faint of heart of the weak of spirit. It takes courage and commitment to make it through.

None of us like to be judged. There is always the possibility that we will be found lacking, that we will come up short, that we will be misunderstood, or that our effort will not be recognized. Grades are nothing more than someone else’s judgement of the results of your effort and study. Professors do their best to make those grades reflect the reality of what you have learned, but any assessment is imperfect. Sometimes your effort will not be reflected in your grade, sometimes what you know will not be reflected in your grade, sometimes your grade will feel downright insulting – the judgement of others often does feel insulting.

The fear of these types of grades and judgements can be paralyzing. Continuing to work hard even though that effort might not be rewarded by the letter grade you want is a demanding exercise in self-discipline - especially if you set high standards for yourself and even more especially if you are a perfectionist. Just as no assessment is perfect, no student is perfect either. Striving for perfection sets you up for failure – the very result you are trying so hard to shield yourself from through your perfectionism. Work hard, do your best, give it your all and then release some of the pressure from that pressure cooker by accepting that as good enough. Regardless of the grade and the judgements of others, you can rest assured that you did everything you could and can be proud of that effort. Your own judgement is, after all, the most important one.

What you are

If you are questioning your ability to make it through this week, remember that you are so much more than your grades. Yes, grades are important. When you are student, grades can feel like they are the single most important indicator of your self-worth. Your GPA defines you during this stage of your life and can have a big impact on your chances to get into graduate school or to get the internship or job you want. But your grades are not you. You are so much more.

You are kind.

You are courageous.

You are ambitious.

You are funny.

You are energetic.

You are a positive force for good in the world.

You are interesting.

You are passionate about the causes you believe in.

You are creative.

You are curious.

You are a good friend.

You are strong.

You are patient.

You are empathetic.

You are grounded.

You are a hard worker.

You bring joy to other people through your mere presence in their lives.

You are so much more than your grades!

Your identity right now very much revolves around your role as a student. That role of student demands that you study hard, that you are diligent in your course work and that you ultimately prove yourself through your grades. When the pressure to prove yourself as a student becomes overwhelming, remember all of other wonderful qualities you have and all of the other roles you play. You have value beyond your GPA. Value which will last far beyond your role as a student. Value which you will continue to provide to the world long after you graduate and long after your professors have relinquished their authority to judge your work and assign value to you.

Study hard, do your best this week, and know that you are worth so much more than the letters on your transcript at the end of the term.