Do your grades matter to you? For the majority of students at Glasgow, the answer would be yes. In fact, in a survey of about 400 students, a little more than half said that their grades mattered to them very much.

Grades are a measure of success for many students across the globe. However, because of this, there is a lot of pressure to do well in school. Some students may find themselves experiencing burnout caused by schoolwork. Burnout, according to the Miriam-Webster dictionary is ‘exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.’

In a survey of 265 GMS students, the majority of them said that they have or might have experienced burnout caused by schoolwork and tests this year. 

So, do Glasgow students think that grades are too stressful, or do they help us learn? Here is what Jolie Nguyen, an 8th grade student at GMS has to say. “Not having grades could take off the stress of grades and let me focus on actually learning things, instead of only learning for an A.” This was the reasoning for many students who would like grades to be less emphasized or not exist at all.

Along with the negative effects of grades, there are also positives. The majority of students asked whether they would like grades to be abolished had answered that they would not. Many stated that grades motivate them to work harder, and without them, they wouldn’t try as much in school. This is what 6th grader Charlotte Smith said on the subject. “I think that grades matter, because you will try harder in school to get good grades, and they can help you and your  teachers see where you are in that subject.”

So, we know that grades have positive effects and negatives, but, do your middle school grades matter in college? When students choose to apply to college, colleges don’t often look at middle school grades. After all, middle school is far from college. However, just because they may not matter to colleges, it doesn’t mean grades don’t matter at all. Your progress in middle school is important to prepare for high school, and even college. So, do your grades matter to you?

Sources: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/blog/campus, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KShfEMy8UZQ, & https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout