I got my report card back this week and honestly, I was super nervous because this trimester I really did struggle more than I’m used to. My grades were great, but the demand from this trimester was burdensome, to say the least. It took a lot of effort to stay on top of it.

I will try to keep this short, but I want to talk about the Duck Syndrome. Duck Syndrome is a term coined at Stanford University. It refers to the illusion of a duck effortlessly gliding along a stream. However, underneath the water, the duck is frantically paddling its feet trying to keep up. Everyone only sees that top part. People always told me that they wish school came “easy” like it did for me. But even people like me do have to struggle to earn that grade. I think a lot of these types of comparisons are rooted in the fact that students derive a lot of their self-worth from their grades. This transitions me to my main point:

YOU ARE MORE THAN THE GRADE YOU GET

Everyone has their own struggles and their own responsibilities that they’re trying to juggle. Be proud that you tried your best and put forth all of your effort in the grades you got. You are not incompetent if your friend or someone you know got a higher grade. There are so many factors at play, and we all are just trying our best.

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If you are ever looking to talk to someone, my Instagram and my contact form are always great places to reach out to me. Getting my report card triggered this memory for me, and I wanted to share some reassurance with you. Follow my blog for more content like this! Looking forward to the 3 day weekend (for US Students).

Your study buddy,
Anushka Agrawal