In an academically competitive environment where letter grades are meant to indicate how competent you are, we often overwhelm ourselves with pressure trying to be the best.

The socially acceptable measure of how capable we are is based off whether we have an A or a B.  It seems as though little else matters- improvement, hard work, persistence, none of those attributes are taken into consideration anymore; you are either great or you are not.

This proves grades to be the biggest contributor to our constant pressure.  Students are no longer satisfied with receiving B, or B+ as grades, which results in little room for failure.

When ISB students were asked how they feel when they get a B as a grade, the most received reply was “I would feel like an utter failure”.  So the question is, why are students so pressured to get A’s?

What many students do not realize or acknowledge is that they score on average within the four highest percentiles of international schools, as according to the MAP results… yet they still believe they are average.

The difference however, is that although they may be average for ISB students, the ISB average is much higher than the world average.  Thus in reality, they are average when concerning about 180 students but the top four percentile when concerning every other high school.  That is because the quality of student work at ISB is generally, above international standards- our “average” grade here is already quite good.

Yet the only comparison that seems to matter to us ISB students is between each other.  Why?  Is it parental pressure?  Are ISB’s standards too high?  What influences all ISB students to never feel satisfied with an average grade?

The incident that occurred a few years back where ISB honor roll seniors falsified their college applications in order to guarantee their spots, shows how oblivious we are of our own greatness.  “Those students would have gotten into their chosen schools without having to fake anything, because they were definitely good enough,” HS Counselor Mr. Andrew Weiser stated.

So what is it that makes us believe we are not as great as we wish we were?  Perhaps it is the fact that ISB is filled with all types of incredibly talented people everywhere you look, that makes us feel less worthy.

We look around and we see students getting accepted into Ivy League schools, starting their own very successful clubs, breaking record after record, getting the highest of GPA’s we ever imagined and more.  Perhaps that is what makes us feel average… being in an environment where average is neither the expected nor the usual.

The reality however, is that if you attend any other school, you would very likely be the least average student there.  That is because ISB is not your average school with your average teachers and average students.  ISB is filled with students who are not satisfied with themselves until they reach their true potential.  This is, on merit, a good thing.  The trouble is when it becomes an obsession.

Now the problem is, a person’s potential is a bit of an idealist concept.  It is not anything we can measure nor physically see; it is simply something we assume to be accurate.

The cold, hard truth is that we will never truly reach our potential, because as we improve, our potential increases, thus initiating an endless cycle of achieving but never truly fulfilling; you will never be perfect- there is always room for improvement.

That, is what most ISB students need to realize.  We need to stop, think and reflect on how much we’ve grown, achieved and proved.  We need to realize our own greatness.  We need to be content with ourselves, because we are not average, and we are just starting the endless list of things we are capable of.  It is just the beginning; so do not let a letter grade define what you are capable of.

 Carol Zeitune