Students are always feeling pressured to be perfect on everything when it comes to grades. Getting all A’s is something that students will strain themselves to achieve, even though a B is never a bad thing.

Looking at the grading chart, a B means that you are meeting all of the expectations, and doing all the work correctly. So why is this not a normal thing, and why is it stressful when a B shows up on the report card? 

Getting all A’s is not just because students want to, it is also the pressure of living up to exactly the grades of their siblings. Freshman Gaby Moaz says, “My sister had a 4.0 and I need to too.” Many other students feel this way.

Some students fear disappointing parents, and just get really upset when they get a B. Sophomore Kenley Whittaker says, “Getting a B means that I have to redo it.” Even if it does not drag down your grade, having a B on something gets stressful for some students.

Normalizing receiving B’s on an assignment is important because it is not a bad thing. Students have too much pressure put on them, with the constant need to always be perfect. Meeting the expectations should be where you feel perfect.

Yes, striving for excellence should be something students are doing, but not at the cost of always being stressed out. It is okay to get a B on assignments, especially if you knew that it was the best effort you could have put forth.