All schools have a standard that they utilize in order to measure their student’s performance. Whether it be grades, test scores, project performance, level of extracurricular participation and more. The most commonly utilized one is evidently the standard grading system, at least in America, where test, homework, and project scores are graded through percentages ranging from 0-100% that translate to grades A, B, C, D, or F. This grading system has proven to be effective over time, however there are many issues with students prioritizing better grades over their mental health and even letting these grades determine their perceived level of self-worth.
A study performed by Jennifer Crocker performed at the University of Michigan found that around 80% of college students base their self-worth on their grades and overall academic performance (Ruffin, n.d.). This outlines the significance of the grading system and its relation to student mental health. The strong association of self-worth and grades made by students negatively impacts their overall mental health by providing an unrealistic measure for their individual self- worth as grades do not measure other social, environmental, and behavioral aspects of student life. Students should keep this in mind when developing how deeply grades affect their emotional health, and note that grades only measure distinct skill levels, not their worth as a person.
Another study reinforces the negative relationship between grades and self-worth as it found that students experience a drop in self esteem when they receive low grades (D’Entremont, 2018). This drop could again be due to the association explained previously, and stresses the importance of understanding that grades do not measure students themselves, but rather their academic performance.
Overall, it is important to acknowledge that academic performance is an important part of one’s life, but self-worth should be based upon personal actions, emotions, environmental factors, and more. Grades should not be the sole or even a significant determinant in a person’s self-worth as they do not measure everything that contributes to a person’s life.
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If you find yourself struggling with battling the association of your self-worth to your grades, the MentalH2O article titled, “Academic Underachievement: How to Deal!” outlines tactics that may be able to help,
Here is a link to the article:
Additional articles that may be helpful to you can be found under the subtopic “Academic and Personal Development” placed under the “Resources” section on the Mental H2O website.
Written By: Carmela Gonzalez, Mental H2O Youth Resource Writer
References:
D’Entremont, A. (2018). Being a C-student is the new normal: a literature review on grades, self-worth, and mental wellbeing. Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.v0i0.13077
Ruffin, B. (n.d.). Why You Shouldn’t Base Your Self-Esteem On Grades. The Center for Communication.
https://www.centerforcommunication.org/community-voices/why-you-shouldnt-base-you r-self-esteem-on-grades
