Have you ever cried about a test grade? Was your first thought after seeing a score: “This will drop my GPA”? Often, as students prepare to receive their tests back, they wait anxiously in anticipation of their grade. Many shake their legs; others fiddle with necklaces and rings.
Navigate 360, a program dedicated to supporting schools in becoming physically and emotionally safe, states that nearly 80% of children ages 8-17 reported feeling stressed at school some or most of the time.
This pressure often comes from a need for academic perfection. Students frequently emphasize the importance of a “good” GPA, regarding it as a defining factor of their potential and success. However, determining one’s value based on a set of numbers usually results in a circular motion between stress, consequence and low performance. Therefore, one’s GPA should not be viewed as a judgment of one’s intelligence or the final goal for many students; academics should revolve around the knowledge gained, not the grade received.
When GPA is viewed as a dictator of a student’s capability, the expectation of receiving a perfect grade can often overwhelm students and potentially lead to severe mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and panic attacks. According to Hillside Horizon For Teens, a residential care center for adolescents facing mental health struggles, 70% of teens feel stress from their academic responsibilities.
Additionally, a 2023 study from the American Psychological Association states that academic excellence pressure directly impacts 60% of teens who experience insomnia, anxiety and poor concentration. These statistics demonstrate the correlation between academic pressure and mental well-being.
GPA consists of each course a student is enrolled in and is used as a reflection of one’s intellectual capability, specifically when choosing applicants for higher education. Oftentimes, course grades will be primarily made from test grades. Specifically, here at CHS, assessment grades usually contribute 60-80% of a student’s final grade. This means that GPA heavily consists of assessment grades per each class. This form of GPA and grading leads to further academic pressure.
Test taking can put pressure on students to prepare for the assessment (Harmony United Psychiatric Care), which can lead to fear and stress around failing or not performing as adequately as hoped or expected. This fear of failure can prompt anxiety and depression. According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression is a feeling of hopelessness, deep sadness, decreased energy and a loss of self-worth, among a variety of other symptoms. Failure to meet expectations can negate one’s opinion of themselves and result in feelings of hopelessness for their future or present day.
Moreover, test scores are a snapshot of a singular moment in time—the time block that the student takes the test—meaning that these scores don’t fully represent a student’s intelligence or understanding.
The Bureau of Indian Education states, “The CDC emphasizes that sleep is critical for memory consolidation, learning and cognitive function. Students who do not get enough sleep are more likely to struggle with concentration, problem-solving and retaining information.” This demonstrates that a student’s energy level on a given test can affect their overall performance.
Instead of their intelligence, test scores showcase a student’s capability for that period of time when they take the test. Judging someone’s potential based on a single score is unfair and not accurate, especially when those scores become a major part of their GPA.
Another reason GPAs aren’t effective is because of grade inflation—when higher grades are given for the same level of work. According to the U.S. Department of Education, from 1990 to 2020, four-year college GPAs rose by more than 16% at public and non-profit universities. “A” is now the most common grade awarded at American universities—sometimes by comical proportions.” This devalues grades because grades now fail to distinguish students based on intelligence.
Additionally, at many schools, cheating is a prevalent issue. According to Stanford University, between 75 and 98% of college students have cheated at least once. According to Edutopia, students often cheat because they want a better grade. This shows that grades are currently considered more important than actually learning, which is not ideal.
According to the National Library of Medicine and the American Psychological Association, burnout and procrastination can also occur for students. These are negative consequences because procrastination and burnout significantly affect the well-being of students. When students feel a diminished sense of academic accomplishment, they lose motivation and confidence in their own potential.
Furthermore, academic stress can lead to emotional exhaustion, which is a key factor in burnout and procrastination, according to the National Library of Medicine. If students were encouraged to focus on the knowledge aspect of school, the risk of burning out with extreme efforts for the purpose of getting good grades would be reduced. Also, procrastination would lower because students’ self-confidence would not be affected by their academic performance; rather, they would focus on learning the material and be motivated to expand their knowledge.
When the importance is placed on perfect grades, stress can overwhelm students, which can result in negative impacts on their well-being and future. Additionally, using results from singular moments when students are tested is not an accurate representation of their overall competency. Instead, academics should focus on the knowledge gained, not the grade received. In other words, a high GPA should be achieved by understanding concepts instead of temporarily gaining knowledge and taking a test.
To do this, more of the total class grades should be on coursework, with the maximum split being 50% tests and 50% coursework. Students should be able to redo or make revisions to their coursework after they understand the material. The end goal is not a high GPA; it is to participate and understand the concepts taught in class, meaning that tests are a tool, not a goal.
