For me, and many others, this school year has been excruciatingly difficult. Between having a constant flood of assignments and a severe lack of motivation, my junior year has been a rollercoaster. Until now,  I’ve always been an A-B student, and it was one of the most frustrating things to experience. 

Seeing my grade drop but having no motivation to fix it was hard, but it also made me realize something: I used to base my intelligence on how well I was doing in school and so did everyone around me. The school system pushes this idea that if your grades are bad, then there is something wrong with you, and you’re behind. They may not say it out loud but it’s clear and obvious. This year has really opened my eyes and made me think about it more thoroughly

My intelligence will not be graded and based on a letter and outdated curriculum because it surpasses all of that. I’m proud of myself because I’ve become aware of that fact and no longer hold myself to the ridiculous expectations of others and specifically of schools.