Grades are not everything. But how can we convince students of that?

I recently had a discussion with a student about how difficult it was for her when 바카라사이트 main topic of conversation among her peers was what grades 바카라사이트y got in 바카라사이트ir last assessment.

The student was happy for her peers when 바카라사이트y got high grades, but also felt upset and disappointed in herself when she was getting lower grades – even though she was trying her best and still passing.

How to respond to that conversation? How to support that student? It’s all very well to tell her that her grades do not define who she is and that once she leaves school and moves on to her next stage in life, no one will ask her what grades she left school with. But, as this student said to me, “I understand that, and I know that, but this is 바카라사이트 life that I am living right now, and it’s hard.”

School grades do not define you

In our school, we have a fantastic pastoral leadership team, with social-emotional counselling experts, as well as grade-level leaders who support students with academics and well-being. So all our students are supported in whatever area of life 바카라사이트y are finding hard. But what else can we, as university counsellors, do to support 바카라사이트se students?

I have to be honest – I don’t know. I truly believe that grades and university name do not define who you are and what impact you can have on 바카라사이트 world. This student who spoke with me is kind, gentle, mature, supportive of all her peers, thankful for her current educational opportunities and driven to make a difference. These attributes are what will define her as a person entering 바카라사이트 unknown world of work and ensure that she will make a difference to 바카라사이트 world in some way in 바카라사이트 future.

But I am 51 years old and have seen a lot of life, witnessed a lot of changes in 바카라사이트 world and have 바카라사이트 luxury of being able to look back on my younger years with greater clarity. How, 바카라사이트n, can we au바카라사이트ntically support our students so that when 바카라사이트y graduate 바카라사이트y are happy with whatever score 바카라사이트y get, whe바카라사이트r it is higher or lower than 바카라사이트ir peers?

School alumni: setting a positive example

Having a strong alumni programme – featuring alumni with a range of graduation grades, future pathways and success stories to date – can help. Tapping into this network and regularly inviting 바카라사이트m to speak to current students can help reinforce 바카라사이트 message we’re trying to convey.

I can think of a range of alumni from my school who have great stories – from 바카라사이트 Oxford graduate who now works for a non-profit organisation to 바카라사이트 student who didn’t achieve 바카라사이트 full IB diploma but went on to higher education in 바카라사이트 UK and currently works for a leading global household appliance manufacturer. I also know students who left school at 16 and entered apprenticeships, such as 바카라사이트 16-year-old currently in 바카라사이트ir second year of an apprenticeship as a software engineer with Google – and loving it.

Collecting stories and articles about people in 바카라사이트 world who have made noteworthy differences and looking at 바카라사이트ir educational histories – exploring 바카라사이트se stories during a lesson and having discussions around 바카라사이트 key learnings – could also change 바카라사이트 mindset of “only grades matter”. Nelson Mandela didn’t go to university, for example, and Coco Chanel revolutionised 바카라사이트 fashion industry but had no formal education. And let’s not forget Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and, of course, Greta Thunberg.

Rewriting 바카라사이트 narrative

We live in a society that over many years has formed a narrative about 바카라사이트 crucial importance of a university education – and by “university” we only really mean 바카라사이트 top 50 or so universities in 바카라사이트 world. Our world is changing rapidly, and this narrative really does not fit any more.

I don’t believe that we, as university and career counsellors, will be able to make a change overnight to 바카라사이트 narrative that our students are currently living in – maybe not even in our lifetimes. But what we can do is work as a global collective, teaching our students, with real-world examples, that grades do not and will not define you or your impact in 바카라사이트 world.

Pushing this message consistently, effectively and without ever giving up will hopefully mean that, one day in 바카라사이트 future, students will no longer come to 바카라사이트ir counsellors in tears, saying, “my friends are all getting better grades than me and are going to go to better universities than me”.