Bad Grades = Bad Future
A well debated topic has always been the high school grading system, specifically the stress that it puts on students to achieve good grades. However, this raises the question of whether or not a student’s high school grades are actually important to their future. Over the years, there has been news related to schools that have eliminated grades for various reasons, as well as many test-optional colleges, meaning that students do not need to submit their SAT or ACT scores in order to apply, putting more focus on the person as a whole rather than their test scores. While the education system has been attempting to gradually veer away from letter and number grades, it brings up the question of whether or not a person’s high school grades can actually determine their success later on in life. As a junior in high school, I know how important grades seem, as I sometimes sacrifice a good night’s rest in order to finish my hours of homework and study for an important test the next day, or even sit at my desk having a panic attack because I don’t know or understand the content that I’m going to be assessed on, convince myself that I am going to fail, and then fall into a downward spiral where I end up convincing myself that I am going to fail the test and thus not make it into college. Grades force students to put themselves in mentally straining positions that may have a negative impact on their physical and mental health in order to obtain a good grade. However, while they may be a toxic thing, a person’s future does rely on their high school grades to a certain extent.
In an article published by the Washington Post titled, “Here’s how much your high school grades predict your future salary”, they included information based off of a report published in the Eastern Economic Journal by researchers from the University of Miami. The article discussed the importance of a person’s high school gpa on their future jobs and earnings. The piece explained how a person’s gpa in high school connects to their chances of getting into college, whether they will finish college, and how much they will most likely earn later on in life. Michael T. French, director of a health economics research group says that a 1 point gpa increase has a 12% increase in men’s average annual earnings, and a 14% increase for women. These statistics show how much a person’s future truly relies on their high school work ethic, and reinforces the idea that your future is determined based upon your performance and effort between the ages of 14 and 18. While your high school gpa is not the sole contributor to your future earnings, the data shows how a better gpa increases your future earnings by a significant amount. In addition to receiving higher wages, a person is also more likely to get accepted into a good college, which is more appealing to future employers as they are more likely to know about the college and its programs, and may even know you based off an internship that was completed during your college career. In the article “5 Reasons Why Grades are Important,” they state that good grades and test scores lead to scholarships for college, and also provide special opportunities like admittance into honors societies. Standards such as these place a large amount of pressure on young teenagers, as the gpa provided by colleges of accepted high school students continually rises, making it harder for students to get accepted.
Despite the overwhelming amount of research that points to the fact that grades determine your success later on in life, there have become a large amount of exceptions to this rule. With the continuously increasing popularity of social media sites such as YouTube, Instagram, etc, more and more people who take part have become influential and well paid public figures. In addition, a good amount of the people (mostly teenagers and adults in their 20’s) that have become internet famous have dropped out of high school, or finished their high school education. Of course, many people who have become popular internet figures have finished their high school education and may even have attended college. However, that is just another example of how you can still become successful without good grades in school.
Another exception to the rule is Richard Branson, who dropped out of school at the age of sixteen in order to start his first business. Teachers like to stress the importance of school and make you believe that if you don’t do well on a test or in a class then you won’t be prepared for life outside of high school. However, some people just don’t do well in school, whether they don’t test well, or the classes they take don’t reflect the things that they are actually good at, like construction. These people aren’t destined to fail. They may end up being one of the most successful people in their chosen professions.
Teachers and the school system shouldn’t put so much pressure on their students to be the best and have a 4.0 gpa. Instead, they should stress the importance of individuality, and encourage students to pursue their own personal interests, no matter how unconventional or out-of-the-box they may seem. Grades do not define a person or their ability to become successful, that is up to the individual and the individual alone.
Works Cited
“The Effects of Grades on Students.” Bohatala, bohatala.com/the-effects-of-grades-on-students/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2019.
“5 Reasons Why Grades Are Important.” Edublox Online Tutor, www.edubloxtutor.com/5-reasons-grades-important/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2019.
Marte, Jonnelle. “Here’s How Much Your High School Grades Predict Your Future Salary.” The Washington Post [Washington], 20 May 2014. The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/20/heres-how-much-your-high-school-grades-predict-how-much-you-make-today/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.658810a77129. Accessed 19 Mar. 2019.
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