The first semester of the school year 2012-2013 has passed: a semester of success – or maybe disaster. The grades of the subjects that we took during the first semester might satisfy us or not.
Grades depend on the effort exerted and interest shown on the subject. Many students might have done their best to achieve high grades or they were just complacent and thought that passing is enough. Even I did not do my best because I was JUST aiming for a passing grade.
A teacher in college once told me, “Do not aim for a passing grade; instead, aim for a grade of 4.0.” Then she asked us, “Why?” No one answered. She then told us, “If you aim for a passing grade and you don’t get that, there is a big chance that you’ll fail. But, if you aim for 4.0 and don’t get a 4.0, you’ll be hitting on somewhere not far from that grade.”
Aiming for something is not easy, especially when you are not willing to sacrifice time and effort for it. There are some factors to consider if you want to exert effort in a subject. I have my own factors that affect how I exert effort in class. First is the teacher. If that teacher makes me want to learn, I work harder and show him/her my interest in the subject. Second is the classmate. It depends on how they make me feel. When I was still a freshman, I felt like there was a competition in the class. So I studied. Now, I don’t feel it. Instead, I compliment them for achieving high marks during our exams while I feel mad about myself for not preparing for the exam. Third, is the course itself. If I think the subject is important and useful to me, then I will work hard on it.
But in real life, if you want to excel, you should not only think about the factors mentioned above. Instead, face things that you do not like so that you’ll be ready to face anything in the future.
College is the so-called preparation stage for most people before they start struggling out there in the “real world.” So you should exert effort in all the subjects whether you want it or not. You and even your parents will be happy when they see your “decent grades” after finishing the subject. The fruits of your efforts are your grades. Your parents will also somehow be assured that you’re being sharpened for the challenges that you may face when you are on your own.
Ask this question: “Did I do my best in my previous subjects?” And when you have answered yourself, ask yourself another question: “Will I do the same in the next subject or will I do better?”
Each semester is a time for change. Sem break was the time to decide to stay the same or do better. But do not wait for summer break if you already have realized what you need to change. It’s never too late to change your performance in school. Always aim for the top; if you don’t hit it, you’ll hit something that is not far from it.
