Grades are very important to students, especially good grades. On the other hand, grades have been linked to higher levels of stress, anxiety, academic motivation, and feelings of trust between the teacher and student.

There are many reasons why students feel pressured into getting good grades. For most, it is because they are pressured by their parents to meet certain expectations. Other times there is comparison, which makes them feel inferior.

All students collectively agree that there is too much academic pressure to achieve good grades. Students feel like in school all the teachers and administrators pressure students to do well on all tests, especially the standardized tests, like the ACT for example. 

Others see that school typically puts a lot of pressure on students to challenge themselves by convincing them to take honors classes or Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These difficult classes are not necessarily the best fit for all students.

According to Inside Higher Ed, “Grades are making students physically, emotionally and psychologically unwell. Rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation have spiked dramatically, and academic stress tied to grades is a leading cause of this escalation. Evidence from major research studies has shown these health issues have been getting much worse over time and are not likely going get better in the future.”

According to a 2019 report by the Pew Research Center, “70 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds surveyed believe anxiety and depression to be a major problem among their peers, and this same group identifies the pressure to get good grades as the most significant factor leading to these mental health issues”.

For some students, a poor grade can alter their mood for days; they can be so hard on themselves, causing them to disconnect. Stress takes over and they find themselves measuring their self-worth based on a grade. 

Wilkerson-Petersen strongly believes that grades do not define a student’s self-worth. 

“Grades are not everything. Grades should never define a person and their potential because our potential is always growing! Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and we can always find help to improve our weaknesses,” Wilkerson-Petersen said. “Who you were last semester is not who you will be this semester. You always have the chance to improve, so don’t base your self-worth on something that you are capable of changing. WANTING to change it is a better measure of your self-worth in the first place.