Zach Guzzo

Chamber Orchestra performs a medley of the songs they performed at the State competition, where they won first place this year.

The pressure we put on students to maintain a certain GPA is detering them from going after what they love. After 13 years of schooling I’ve realized that academia isn’t really my jam. I’ve never been a particularly bright student, and I’m more than ok with that. I’ve found other ways for me to feel like I’m intelligent, without basing my worth on my grade point average.  

No matter how many times teachers say it’s not true, OHS has always prioritized “college readiness” and continues to do so. For people like me who know that path isn’t for them, it can feel incredibly alienating. School can be great. I know that many people have benefited a lot from this system. I have friends with 4.0s, and 3.9s. I have friends who go insane when they get less than a 90 on any given assignment. I have friends who are going to be doctors and lawyers, and could not be more different than me. 

Ironically, the things I do that aren’t tied to my grades are the things I score the best in. For the past two years I’ve submitted original writing to the Washington State Thespians Competition. My junior year I scored an excellent, and this year I scored a superior, which you need a near perfect score to get, qualifying me to submit my piece for the national competition. This is a pretty major accomplishment, considering I was one of 10 people regionally to qualify.  On top of this, poetry I’ve written has been featured in at least one, if not both, of the school LitMags for the past three years.

I have a massive appreciation for language and writing, but you would never even guess that based on my GPA. And I know there are probably dozens of other students who are in similar boats to me, who hold a love and appreciation for certain things that never get recognized. The weight of GPA deters students from pursuing these things that they truly love. We see this for things students don’t love too. If an assignment isn’t going to be graded, or is only worth a small amount of points, students don’t feel motivated to do it. 

All of the hoops that students have to jump though have been reduced to only that. School is all performative. We see this with the rise of AI usage, students would rather risk turning in blatant misinformation and stolen words than use their own creativity. Everyone has the ability to create, but the urge to do so has slowly been dwindling the less it’s encouraged by teachers and peers alike. 

I’m at the point in my highschool career where a bus could hit me on my way out and I wouldn’t be particularly upset. As it is, despite how much I enjoy writing this has even become just another box to check. If there was less pressure on students to get A’s and “be good” at every class they take, then more people might branch out and try new things. More students could be recognized for their accomplishments if we stopped talking about GPA like it dictates your entire life. Because it doesn’t. So what if your GPA slips below what you’re used to, that doesn’t mean you’re not able to accomplish great things. 

Screw your 4.0. Join that band, write that novel, direct that short film. Do the things you love without feeling guilty for prioritizing your own quality of life, and encourage others to do the same.  

(And if you’re sitting here reading this thinking: “but how am I going to get into an ivy league school without my 4.0”  then, this is obviously not for you.)