“A Medal Does not Define You”

A medal is given to an individual as an award of academic recognition or other accomplishments. We often believe
that having medals and high grades means that we will be having a bright future, we are more intelligent and smarter than
those people who have lower grades. But when we push too hard on ourselves or we pressure too much just to have the
highest grade and have many medals were more likely to experience negative outcomes, such as depression and anxiety.
They have standards that we need to fulfill just to satisfy their need for reassurance, but it's definitely wrong.  

               Academic pressure is defined as “an experience in which a student is burdened by the demands of time and energy
to achieve specific academic goals(Jeremy Manne, 2020). It can lead to depression, anxiety disorders, or high-functioning
anxiety. Excessive academic pressure is harmful. A person has a lot of awesome things that a report card cannot show
because grades don't define intelligence. Good students aim for good grades, great students aim for understanding (Maxime
Lagace). Some of the most famous people were failures, Albert Einstein was expelled from school and his teachers described
him as mentally slow. What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way
of looking at the world and learning (Chuck Grassley).

              Medals and good grades will not take you to where you want to be when you live a life following everyone's
expectations. We don't need to win every medal just to be successful, because success for me is not having all the medals but
it is always doing your best and trying to develop and get better in every instance. As Hanna Victoria said, grades are just
mere numbers and will not really matter in the future. A medal does not define who you are and what you would become. It is
not the only method to accomplish in life because grades and intelligence are two very different things. Steve Jobs, Bill
Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg didn't finish college. Just like the story of Steve Jobs, the guy behind the tech giant Apple. He
was just 19 when he dropped out of college as it was not that interesting to him at the time. Taking a look at his achievements
in life shows how Jobs found a way to succeed in life even when he did struggle in school. “Your time is limited, so don’t
waste it living someone else’s life,” Jobs said.  This means that medals and good grades will not take you to where you want
to be when you live a life following everyone’s expectations. Trying to be someone you are expected to be will not lead you
to success.  A grade is mainly based on what you can remember, not on what you know and understand. Another article
written by Jakob Woo-Ming in March 2015 states that “A report card does not know about how you flew halfway across the
world to help people in need. It does  not tell  you about  your personality,  humor, work  ethic, athletic  ability, devotion to
the arts, or your job experience.” He claims that whatever grade is written on your report card does not determine who you
are as a person. I was too worried about my grades and I should have been more worried about learning (Michelle Obama). I
stand on this because learning and discovering a lot of things are more essential than mere numbers of grades. When we
learned things, we apply and use that in our daily lives, especially, to avoid ignorance and how to deal with any
circumstances that will happen. What makes a child gifted and talented is not always about the good grades in school, but a
different way of looking at the world and learning. Ezra Miller said, there's no true value placed in learning, if the point of
you learning something is to simply know it for a test, to get a grade, to go to a good school.

In conclusion, trying to be someone you are expected to be will not lead you to success. You are unique and the
world needs strength from someone like you. It's not wrong that we aim for high grades but we need to have healthy pressure
and enjoy while learning. Well, grades are also important or essential as a foundation but not to put too much pressure on
ourselves, yearn for knowledge, skills, and wisdom. I was trying to say that we should practice working hard but under not
too much pressure because, at the end of the day, hard work and commitment are far more important than the numbers on our
grades. What's the use of these high grades when you're "tapulan" or lazy? Even if you don't have medals and certificates, it
also doesn't mean that you're a failure. There is some time that we fail but every failure is one step closer to success and it
doesn't mean that we are any less of a person. Every day is a learning process and we must enjoy every step. Learning new
things gives us a feeling of accomplishment which, in turn, boosts our confidence in our own capabilities; you'll also feel
more ready to take on challenges and explore new business ventures. Acquiring new skills will unveil new opportunities and
help you find innovative solutions to problems. Let's live our life to the fullest because life is too short. We must enjoy
learning simply for the sake of learning, We don't need a prize or a high grade as a reward. Have fun while learning and let's
sail through life with a big giant smile. It does not matter how long it takes you to complete your degree or if your grades
aren't the best. It does not matter. As long, as you keep going, doing the right things, enjoying your life, give a good impact
on people, committed to your goals. You're so much more!