A Decision
I’ve decided not to run after something anymore. I’m already tired. Besides, I don’t really like what I am doing. I’ve already had enough. My plate is already full and I don’t need an extra serving. But then, if I caught up — by accident — with the thing that I’m supposed to be running for… why not? That would be great and I would really appreciate that.
What the hell am I talking about? Oh, I’m talking about grades.
I’ve decided not to push my efforts to their maximum level. I’m no longer interested on getting enlisted as a Dean’s Lister. I don’t care anymore if there will be others who would surpass me when I know I can reach hinger mountains than them. I’m tired of memorizing dates, names, and other key terms. Surely, this is not the way you can measure a person’s intelligence, right? I’m not motivated to study hard. It’s goodbye high grades.
But is it? My blockmates told me that my grades are still satisfactory — Wow! Ang tataas naman ng mga grades mo! (Wow! Your grades are high!) — but then, they are not as satisfactory as when I had started going to college back last year. I know to how much extent I can do, and I’m only using 80% of my ability. And this is how I want to be now. Besides, my grades are not the things that make me; they’re just numbers. And as what Talamasca have commented, grades are not everything.
I want to thank all of those who have commented in an entry I posted back in June 28, LetÂ’s Talk About Grades, for their insightful comments. For those who have read that post, you might have thought that I’m still a grade conscious student, eh? Well, I’m not one of those kind of students anymore. I’ve relinquished my membership in that group. Yeah, I know, that my grades had gradually increased back in high school, and now, boom! There has been major changes in my grades. But as what I have written, I don’t really care.
But of course, I’ll still cherish those days when I got these…
My Awards. Those certificated have my real name printed, so I covered them.
That’s when the time when I really felt the tension building up against this certain person because of, ah, I’m not supposed to talk about that. And of course, I felt how to be on the stage to get my academic awards. That’s the first and I hope that it’s not the last (I hope that someday, I may get motivated to study hard again).
And those would remain as remembrances. Those would remind me that once, I was a very grade conscious student who was inspired by a best friend to perceive hard in school and that I have the ability to conquer foreign lands where other students haven’t set foot before.
Yes, this is the second half of LetÂ’s Talk About Grades. But I decided not to include this in that post, because as you have read, there’s no chance for my readers to get “inspired” with this post, unlike the previous one.
August 17, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
Well I guess it really is hard to acquire impressive grades in college, especially when it comes to the majors. But then again don’t drop the passion drastically. Still, try hard to do better. Good luck on school!
August 17, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Arlo: Actually, I don’t have problems with my majors as of today. Mas mababa nga ang mga grades ko sa mga minor e. Haha. Weird, eh?
August 17, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
I could still sense that you’re still putting on some pressure on yourself.
But still, why don’t we just do what we want? Hahaha. With the knowledge of the consequences, of course. Wait, parang ang gulo. Haha
And don’t get stuck with the has-beens.
August 17, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
i dont see anything wrong aspiring honors, yun lang doont dtress yourself too much, dapat enjoy lang din. kung di makuha then oks lang pero kung kaya naman why not! i have experience din na magpaakyat ng magulang sa stage, ang sarap ng feeling…
August 17, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
Masarap din naman yung kasali ka sa Dean’s List kasi may mga privileges kahit papano tsaka maganda tignan sa transcript of records. Hehe.
Well, it’s your choice Christian.
Makakapag-enjoy ka rin naman kahit pinipilit mong maging Dean’s List e. HAHA. Bakit ako, nakakapag-cutting pa rin para uminom at hindi nagpapass ng assignments palagi. Yun nga lang, kapag nafifeel kong babagsak na ko, umaatake na yung pagkagrade conscious ko.
August 18, 2007 @ 11:11 am
Don’t push yourself too hard! I’m a mom and I know the pride of parents having their kids in the honor’s list. But you should enjoy also. Im an HR practitioner and the people I see go up the top are the ones who balances their lives.
August 18, 2007 @ 11:15 am
I remember feeling a natural sense of high when I had a chance to be part of the Dean’s List. I wanted to do better and I was so happy when I qualified the following term. However, I felt down when I didn’t make the cut after that. I realized I should just do my best without giving myself too much pressure. I stopped being grade conscious after that but I always made it a point to do well.
I hope that you will continue to do well in school. High grades are wonderful but don’t forget to give yourself time for relaxation and fun.
Happy weekend!
August 18, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
While you there are decided on that it really isn’t worth it much pursuing a place in the DL, I here am for the first time trying to get to that. Note “trying.” I am still getting the hang of actual eating, sleeping and breathing my studies.
So much for having it easy on the second year of college! haha~ i guess it’s just probably because I want to prove something to myself… that’s why I’m doing this… other than the glee and glory that comes with it.. >_>
August 18, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
I think you are already used to being studious since you have been pushing your efforts for so long. Hehe. And you don’t want to get a failing mark, do you? Being on the Dean’s List has some perks. Just keep it up, bro.
Anyway. I also encourage myself to study hard every time. I get satisfactory grades now in college, but I think there’s something left for me to prove. And to think that the subject I fear is drawing near the second term… College Algebra. God bless The Hell Bent.
August 18, 2007 @ 7:14 pm
I’m not sure but it seems that you’re exhausted by people who expect from you so much. Ewan ko lang ha. I don’t know the whole picture kasi.
Although grades can be an asset, I learned from one speaker in a seminar I attended na 75-80% ng mga hired people ay nakuha dahil sa personality nila.
August 18, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
Meron kasi minsan na minor instructors feeling major. At least that’s how we term it.
August 18, 2007 @ 11:29 pm
Of course, you still have to maintain good grades if not exceedingly good grades. It will look good on your transcript.
I agree though that it’s darn tedious to memorize dates or minute details you will really never use outside the four corners of the classroom. If you’re studying just for the sake of having high-grades, then that defeats the very purpose of studying. That’s why I think there’s something wrong with the our educational system. I feel that we’re being fed with a lot of useless crap and that the exams they give to students are structured poorly.
August 19, 2007 @ 4:18 pm
Oh well, we do have our ups and downs in terms of our interests with studying. Sometimes we need to let the chips fall where they may for us to realize something, and strive harder.
Like a happy-go-lucky guy would always say, enjoy life. Hehehe. :p
August 19, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
Well, siguro wag mo kong pakingan kasi ever since naman baligtad tayo. Pero dear, enjoy life! Grades are just grades. Pag ngreunion kayo, di naman nila hahanapin kung sino yung may 98 sa algeb or chemistry e… hahanapin nila yung kasama nila who they laugh with at kasa-kasama nila. Kasi yun yon e!
Naku, cousin dear… iinom mo nalang yan! hahahaha. Well, kahit ganito ako masaya naman ako at di naman bumabagsak (wag mu lang icount yung 5 ko nung first year, frist sem) Well, basta kung ano magpapasaya sayo. Ako kasi shopping at tambay ang ngpapasaya sakin e hahahaha (of course achievements din sa acads). HAHA I’m not really a bad influence, I think. A little maybe but not really. Right?
August 20, 2007 @ 12:14 am
I have to admit that as each day passes by, I’m slowly losing the fervour to study. I try to live up with expectations but it seems that I can no longer cope up with it, because for me at least, a self-esteem that has once been rived can never be patched up. It’s not that I no longer want to study, in fact, I’m striving ever so hard to get into the best universities around (I’d like to study in LSE), it’s because… I don’t know. However, I’m still hoping that one day, I’ll be able to regain the passion and concern (towards studying, that is) I used to have.
All I can say is to study hard not because you want to get high grades but because of your dream to become successful in the future. And here I am going to quote one of my most favourite Filipino authors around:
August 20, 2007 @ 10:41 am
i guess that even though you don’t study hard, you’ll still have high grades. if a person really is intelligent, then even though without studying THAT hard, he’ll still achieve a high performance at school.
ah i remember my younger brother who doesn’t even care about school, but then he got some pretty high grades and got accepted at UP Diliman. 
BTW, sorry about the link exchange, our internet connection had some problems (maybe because of the typhoon), and i can’t access my FTP account in the internet shop. 
well, yeah, just do what you think will make you happy.
August 20, 2007 @ 10:38 pm
wag mo naman masyadong isantabi ang pag-aim mo ng high grades. Malaking tulong din kasi yan lalo na kung scholar ka. Hindi naman porket grades conscious ka eh ibig sabihin being famous lang ang habol mo diba? Challenging din kasi yun lalo na kung may katapat kang matalino din. Sa tingin ko aiming high grades is a challenging rule being a student kasi hindi lahat may determinasyon sa pag-maintained ng grades nila. I’m sure yung iba dyan sinasabi lang na hmp! hindi lang naman grades ang importante eh kasi hindi nila kayang abutin yun. Madali kasing ma-divert ang utak nila sa simpleng sabi lang ng kakilala or sa ibang bagay.
basta kung ano nais mo at importante gawin mo…
August 21, 2007 @ 5:57 am
It must be tough to care about your grades so much. You shouldn’t put too much stress on yourself. Keep this between you and me but I don’t think they are super important but I know that you already heard that. Don’t revolve your life around grades. What is important is your ability to talk to others that’s the key to success. My teacher told me so. But don’t become lazy like me either.
August 22, 2007 @ 9:20 am
wow.. you’re kinda like me.
I consider myself a nerd for being grade conscious.. for me, getting good marks is big deal.. and unfortunately, high expectations really trouble me whenever i wasn’t able to achieve some goal. Being grade conscious really makes me depressed at times whenever i look at the honour roll list and not see my name at the first top four. Up until now, i’m still grade conscious.. i just think it would be better to be a good student than slack off, wasting energy not using our brain. But yea, you are right, grades aren’t everything.. because grades won’t really get you nowhere if it wasn’t for your attitude about life.
I know one person in my school who always gets high grades, the top place in his batch’s honour roll, and possibly, a future dean’s lister. I admired this guy for his knowledge.. but then later on, something happened in his life that made me, and the others as well, realize that grades aren’t really everything.
My dad even said na mas okay ang maabilidad kesa sa matalino.
and indeed, he was right.