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Reasons to Seek Good Grades
by Ron Kurtus (updated 28 February 2022)
There are several reasons or motivations you may have to seek good grades.
Some students want to get good grades to verify they can master the subject. Some want to show they are better than other students. These are personal motivations.
Another reason to try to get good grades is to make your parents happy and proud of you. Finally, you may want to get good grades in order to get into college, get a good job, or simply to graduate.
Questions you may have include:
- How do you prove yourself?
- How can you make your parents happy?
- How do grades help you get into college?
This lesson will answer those questions.
Being recognized or proving yourself
You feel proud and good about yourself if you set a goal of getting top grades in your various classes and then achieve that goal. You are proving to yourself that you can do what you set your mind out to do.
Everyone said that Sasha wasn't able to get good grades in Algebra, because "she was a girl, and girls aren't good in math." For a long time she even thought so herself. But then Sasha set a goal to get at least a "B" in Algebra. She worked hard and was able to achieve her goal. She proved to herself and to the others that she could it.
Besides being motivated to get good grades by trying to prove you can do it, you also may be motivated by the recognition you get from others. They will see you as an achiever. Some may even congratulate you on your achievement.
There are students who are motivated to try to be the best among all the students. They want to have the highest grade-point average in their class. There are others who simply want to do the best they can do, without competing with others. In either case, the motivation will help them succeed.
Making your parents happy
Many students try to get good grades in school because they know it will make their parents happy. Others are motivated in the negative sense in that their parents will be angry if they don't get good grades.
Jefferson never finished high school and never had a very good job. When his son Jake started high school, Jefferson really wanted Jake to do well. He wanted a bright future for his son. So, when Jake got good grades, Jefferson smiled and was proud of his son's achievements. Jake knew it made his dad happy.
The influence of your parents is a motivation to excel in school.
Being able to get into college
If you are in high school or even middle school, you may have dreams to go on to college and then later get a good job or start your own business. Seeking to achieve your dreams is a great motivation to try to get top grades in school.
Not only did Jake want to please his father, but he also had dreams of going to college and then having a career in public relations. This motivated him to study hard.
Even if you do not plan to go to college, getting good grades will help you in getting a job after graduation. In fact, decent grades are necessary to graduate from high school.
Summary
Reasons or motivations to seek good grades include showing you can master the subject or that you are a top student, making your parents happy, and being able to get into college or get a good job.
Do your best in everything you do
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