The last two years of high school are challenging. There are social pressures, boards, internal exams, extracurriculars, projects, research, and if that wasn't enough: Standardized testing, Common App essays, and supplemental essays. These years are challenging just to go through but the added pressure of getting amazing grades can be immensely stressful. Even though your parents may say that grades don't matter; admissions officers, teachers, and even friends may be creating this hype that scores are the only thing that will get you into school. You could also chalk it up to a fear of failure. A fear that your first major decision may not hold up to whatever idea your parents, friends, or family have of you; or worse yet, what you thought of yourself.
There needs to be a balance. You cannot just be chasing numbers. Don't get me wrong, grades do matter, just not as much as you think. Grades give you a great goal to work towards, especially in the case of university admission cut-offs. They offer a great way to gauge your improvement in each subject, but that’s about it. What grades don’t show, though, is the time you spend volunteering, learning to play the guitar, or simply learning to love yourself. They can’t gauge how much you grow as person.
Here are some things to do if you are truly struggling:
Ask for help: The sooner you reach out, the sooner you’ll understand the content, and the sooner you can move on to more exciting things.
Listen to your body: Understand how much you can study one and take constructive breaks that actually recharge you. Go for a run, hang with your friends, spend too much time on a couch watching Netflix. Your call.
Lastly, remember you will get through this!