I don’t care. Yep, I said it. I don’t care. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do care about a lot of things: my family, golf, friends, and school. However, when I say I care about school, it may be very different from what you think. Yes, like most kids at this school I like to see As and A-pluses in the grade book, but if I get a B… so what? What is that B+ in BC Calculus really going to do to me? Nothing. It’s going to do absolutely nothing. That B+ has no reflection of the time and effort I put into the class, and that A in Government doesn’t reflect how much I know about Nigeria’s presidential system or the type of regime Russia has. 

Your grades don’t represent who you are, and learning this was incredibly helpful for my mental health. I realized that I shouldn’t obsess over grades, and that I just have to accept that I’m naturally better or worse at certain classes. Remember that next time you look at your grades, because only you truly know how much effort you put in, and no one can tell you otherwise. The only thing that really matters is putting your total effort into your tests and assignments and knowing you did your best. 

Another piece of advice I have is to forget and move on. I currently have an A in physics. But, on every single multiple-choice test, I got no higher than a B. I even got a D+ on one (I didn’t tell my parents, so sorry mom and dad!), but I moved on from that grade and focused on the other assignments to raise my grade. I’ve accepted that I’m not going to do the greatest on the MCQs, so I don’t set high expectations for them and I don’t waste extra time trying to cram all the information into my brain.

In order to succeed, you have to be able to learn from your mistakes and move on from them. One bad test isn’t going to be the end of your life. It won’t even be the end of your grade in the class. That’s how I live my life. I forget the bad things because they will only carry doubt and fear. Instead, I focus on remembering the good things: hanging out with my friends, being insanely competitive while playing games with my family, and playing golf 24/7 are all things I love to do and they bring me lots of joy. This is what makes high school special. Sure, good grades are nice and help you get into your favorite colleges, but why stress out so much that you forget to make good memories? In 10 years, you’re not going to remember messing up a test, but you will remember having a night out with your friends. 

Now that I’m leaving (finally), I can say that I do care. My high school experience is something I’ll never forget. I have done so much in these four short years. I committed to a college, found new hobbies, and learned more about myself than ever. I know everyone says these four years will fly by, and even I didn’t think it was true, but seriously, enjoy high school. School work aside, it will be the most fun four years of your life, and find something you can truly care about.