At university, I commonly hear about forced all nighters, relentless no-break study sessions . . . the expectation that doing well will only come from pushing yourself to the edge time and time again. Grades directly correlate with your future, and any mistake now will diminish your chances of success.
I am in my fourth year now, and I'll be honest: I withheld a similar mindset from freshman year to now.
However, it only led me to feeling lost, demotivated in my studies and a care only for getting the highest grade possible while never truly fulfilling my own overzealous expectations. The reason? I never acknowledged anything less than perfect.
A's were the presumed, and when gained there was never celebration, for why celebrate the "bare minimum"? When perfection is expected, there is no room for celebration . . . only resentment of pasts "could haves" when it is unreached.
I am not here to tell you to settle, you should always want to be the best you. However, we must ask ourselves what is this all for? Are you doing this for passion, or for praise? The line between may grow thin, but I want to express that you should praise your passion.
If your desire is a reflection of expectation, then your passion to learn will begin to diminish. You are your drive.
An unexpected grade is not a reflection of self-worth or ability, but rather something to question: what was your mindset whilst processing the information, what was misunderstood, and what can you do now to understand or retain what was once unapplied knowledge ?
You have the ability to succeed in whatever way you envision, you always have. Nonetheless, we should acknowledge that success is not always presented in 4.0 GPA, but rather in determination, tenacity, growth, and most importantly: self-praise.
You got out of bed. You showed up to lecture. You completed that assignment. You studied. You took that quiz. You took that exam. No one was there to hold your hand and force you, you did all of that yourself. I see you, I hear you, and I believe in you.
As a final note, please remember it is more efficient to take a nap and later work with precision than it is to stay up, make avoidable mistakes, and retain nothing. You're doing great.
