College: Living, Laughing and Learning

A lot of us came from our high school being the top of our class- perhaps all A’s, super SAT scores; things seemed easy back then.  Why does it seem so hard now?  Is it because our bell curve has shifted?  Is it because now at Vanderbilt instead of being at the top 10%, we have shifted to the top 20% or maybe even middle 50%?

Grades were a big deal.  Internally (and even externally), they defined a part of who we were.  They defined whether we are smart or not.  Yes, that is what happened in school.  We were told whether we were smart based on a number- one measly number.  By our numbers and perhaps our words (if they were striking, powerful, and scored high enough metaphorically by the admissions staff), we got into Vanderbilt, but by the end of college, I hope it is NOT numbers that we get out of college.

Grades may represent how well you learned the material or how hard you worked; sometimes though, it represents neither.  I’m not here to insert my views on the American public school system or anything; I’m simply here to write about my feelings and opinions toward this subject, especially in college.

Over the past year (and even now, grade by grade in each class), I have learned that grades only define a minimal part of me.  It was Maya Angelou who said that people will probably not remember what you did, but people will remember how you made them feel.  It is how you lived your life, your attitude and heart towards others that counts.  Did you cherish and make the best of the relationships between old friends and reach out to a new face when you saw one?  Did you try your best to brighten someone’s day (even just by your smile) or your best to listen instead of preach?  Did you?

Did you go through experiences that moved something deep inside of you- that touched one of the most intimate and compassionate particles of your soul?  Did you fall in love?  Did you love others with your actions?

Who gave grades the right to label your self-worth?  You are much more than grades.  You are a human being, and your contribution to this planet will not be judged by how many points you score on a calculus test or if you pass a world civilizations class.  Your self-worth is how YOU VIEW YOURSELF.  Your self-worth will be best determined by how your actions make you feel.  Did you study the best you could for that test and only got a B?  Then you should move on, always try to improve, but be thankful for every grade you get.  The lower scores motivate you to push harder; the higher grades give you hope that you can reach that potential.  Of course, the terms ‘higher and lower’ are subjective.

No matter what happens, you must remember that college is about life.  It’s about establishing independence, appreciating what you have more, loving people around you, creating strong friendship bonds, absorbing as much knowledge as you can, having great conversations with wonderful professors/faculty, having the peace in your heart with whatever comes along, and realizing that the world is much larger than just Vanderbilt and your physics class.

So I thought I would end with this:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.