Good Grades are No Longer the Definition of Success

The preset mindset remains that grades are essential for any student who wants to go to a top university and take an educational path to success. This narrative is chanted by so many people around us who technically do speak from experience. Careers evolve overnight, industries are born on social media, and self-made opportunities often outweigh the prestige of a degree.

The Old playbook

For decades the formula has been

Study hard + good grades = success!

This path cannot be labeled wrong as it has helped decades of people land stable, secure jobs; just when credentials were essential and a degree was the marker of intelligence. The same scientists with the degrees have gone on to define new types of intelligence and prove that not everyone’s path has to be so mundane. This outdated formula is also worse for women as academic excellence was fundamental to outperform co-workers to merely “prove” that they even deserved to be there. This short-sighted definition ignored so many qualities such as creativity, leadership, adaptability- the unique strengths that could never fit on an exam paper.

The Big Change

Degrees can also mark economic disparities in society so they cannot possibly define human ability. It is an epiphany that is slowly but surely becoming widespread in society. This is why more and more jobs omit the requirement of a degree, preferring well-skilled and creative workers.

In addition to that, learning in its nature has become different. Just the understanding of the different kinds of learners and the skills people excel in expand the horizons of success and its metrics. Moreover, the accessibility and availability of the internet has made the process of consuming knowledge nuanced: knowledge that cannot be verified on a test if known.

Furthermore, the fall of menial jobs has caused a spike in the frequency of self-made careers. Online businesses, social media and even self-employment like freelancing and publishing allow success to be achieved. The world’s evolution and shift towards acceptance notes the strive for passion which allows creativity to thrive over the few careers that many in the past considered “appropriate”.

Women Who Have Done It

This journey has been walked by many women before you. Notable people include:

• Rosalind Franklin: A ground breaking biologist whose work was part of the foundation that helped us understand DNA structure.
• Marie Curie: The only person to win two noble prizes for her work in radioactivity originally did not have a degree and succeeded in spite of the many gender-based barriers in academia.
• Emma Watson: From a young age she was a talented actor and speaker. She starred in notable roles such as Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast but also went on to get a degree in Language. Aside from that she is a famous activist for women rights and owns an alcohol brand by passion.

Famous names aside, there are countless women closer to home that have achieved extraordinary things. From friends that are home bakers to those who sell crafts online, there is no shortage of greatness all around.

Everybody and everything is an inspiration: you merely have to find it.

SO… do grades still matter?

The simplest way to put it is that they don’t not matter. This is not a sign for one to drop out of school. Grades are great for opening some doors, especially to technical fields. BUT they do not define your self worth or your ability. Today, success is multi-dimensional: it’s about mindset, approach, skills, confidence and so much more with the biggest variable being you.

Success at the end of the day is the definition you choose to give it and not what people dictate it to be.

Muhibba Fahim

More Posts