Grades are one of the biggest things I think about every day at school. I probably check my grades every hour, in case something new is posted. I know this sounds intense, but that’s how stressful grades can be to me.
The most stressful part about grades is that my parents always monitor them. Usually they see good grades, but sometimes, there will be that occasional 85. And then my dad freaks out. He will say I need to try harder and I feel so much pressure when that happens. He says, “You know what we expect and those are A’s.”
When COVID hit, my school was virtual all year and my grades suffered but I got them back up this year: all A’s and one B. But when I told my dad about an 89 on a test, he was really mad. From his perspective, if it isn’t a 90 or above, it isn’t good enough. He isn’t proud of anything else. I want to do my best and get good grades too, but what my dad doesn’t realize is that the pressure coming from him doesn’t actually help me to succeed. It only makes it harder.
I just wish he could see that.