The world has changed.

In recent decades, grades have gotten more important because of the future they unlock. While only passing certain courses is required to graduate high school, to move on to the next level of education and gain access to the jobs that earn reasonable amounts of money, admittance to college is a virtual necessity.

This brings it to the issue of GPA, the average of the grades a student gets in high school. Colleges use GPA as one of the points of consideration for student admittance. So, GPA matters. But is it the end-all be-all?

Despite its implications, GPA may not be quite as important as many think.  First of all, while it is a factor, GPA is not the only thing that potential colleges observe in their prospects, nor can it solely guarantee admittance into the school of choice in all cases. Colleges also look at course completion throughout high school years relating to core and certain fine art/language subjects, test scores, and the balance of extracurricular activities to determine involvement and motivation in their applicants. Focusing too highly on GPA may jeopardize some of these other factors.

Building a high school life around obtaining the highest possible GPA may result in a very stressful experience.  Regardless of how highly GPA is regarded, students simply will not be completely perfect in everything they endeavor in in high school, and such a focus on GPA can lead to difficulty in accepting or learning from the mistakes that will inevitably be made not only in high school, but afterwards as well.

High school should not be a place that makes one feel like an exhausted, nervous wreck every second of every day, and too much focus on GPA invites mental disaster.

Undoubtedly, GPA is important in determining what options are available to students after high school. But this importance should not be overstated. Life will not end with the loss, by .1, of the perfect GPA. In the end, GPA is just one piece of the high school experience, and while it is with significance, it should not result in a sacrifice of aspirations or mental health.