No matter what or where you’re studying, exams and assignments are a core part of education! I’m sure we’ve all experienced the joy, heartbreak, disappointment, or surprise a single grade can bring. If you’ve found yourself asking “why doesn’t hard work = good grades?”, this article is for you.
A few weeks before I sat down to write this article, I was actually pondering this very question. I had just gotten back a really disappointing grade on one of my papers… It was made worse by the fact that it was my second bad grade in a row that semester, and it was for a module that I quite enjoyed.
I remember entering the school portal and seeing it for the first time. The letter just stared back at me and I remember feeling hurt and confused. It wasn’t just a chip at my pride, but a part of me felt wronged. I felt like this wasn’t what I deserved – I put in the effort and the hours, I studied and practised, but I felt like I didn’t have anything to show for it.
I wanted to share some of the reminders that I cling to:
1. Assessments are made for your learning, not your learning for assessments
What I’m trying to say through this slightly confusing sentence is this: assessments (like exams and projects) were created to measure how much we have learnt and retained. The point of learning is not to pass an assessment.
Assessments are simply tools used to benchmark your progress and reflect how well you’ve done in a specific course. They are NOT an all-encompassing indicator of your intelligence.
Something that always helps me is to remember that learning goes beyond the classroom. It’s cheesy, I know, but it’s true.
Especially in tertiary education, the modules you’re taking very likely teach you real and transferable skills that you would find useful when you join the workforce!
Even if it’s an area of work that you have already decided against, education builds soft skills, too—communication, resilience, problem-solving, and many more fine qualities that will help you in the workplace.
Studying hard and doing your best are important, but there is more to learning than passing that exam with flying colours!
2. It’s just a bad grade
I know it sucks and I’m not trying to downplay the hurt and disappointment you might feel, but at the end of the day, it really is just a bad grade. It doesn’t make you any less worthy or valued as a human being.
So, grieve the effort you put in, and allow yourself to be sad… Though, personally, when I catch myself feeling sad about a grade, I find it best to shift my thinking.
Instead of forcing myself to be happy or “look on the bright side”, I try to put the grade into perspective.
If I look back at this 20 years from now, will I remember the grade I received, or how I responded to it? I believe that chances are, I will remember the lessons I took away, how I pivoted after the bad grade, and how I grew from it!
A bad grade doesn’t define you, so don’t allow it to hold you back.
3. Look ahead
Instead of beating yourself up, which is both harmful and unproductive, try to focus on the future.
Ask yourself: What went wrong? Was it a matter of a lack of practice? Failure to understand the material? Poor time management?
Understanding where I went wrong helps me accept the bad grade and make sense of what I can do from this point onwards.
The bad grade is bound to sting for a bit—but it will subside! And once it does, put your energy towards trying to do better for the next one. Talk to seniors or peers who may understand where you went wrong, or consult your lecturer if you can.
The past is out of your control, but you CAN take action to make yourself better prepared for the next assessment!
To end off, I wanted to share some advice that I would have benefitted from when I was in Poly. In a country like Singapore, where education is compulsory for a number of years and is very much the normal path to take, it can be hard to remember that education is a privilege.
Education is a service you pay for, so make the most of it! Study hard, but also make use of the resources the school gives you. Talk to your lecturers about their industry experience, and pursue areas that interest you.
Yes, the grades are important, but they do not define you. Press on and keep going!
