Sweaty palms. Racing heartbeat. Do I click it? Just click it! No wait. Wait! Take a deep breath. It’s not the end of the world, worst-case scenario you feel depressed for a few days, or ruin your entire holiday, or cry alone in the bathroom for a few hours…or don’t graduate. Just do it! Ok here goes. *Click…
Now what happens? This is that cliché moment where the whole world stops and nothing else exists, nothing but the weary gaze between your red, sleep-deprived eyes and the computer screen. You will finally find out whether all the sleep, personal hygiene, fun, and sanity you sacrificed during the term were worth it. I really hope that I am not the only one whose mind has been plagued with these thoughts while I wait for my grades.
So, how many of these thoughts have you had while waiting to check your grades?
1. Simplifying the Situation
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
“I mean, at the end of the day it’s just a letter. Haha, why am I freaking out so much over a simple letter? I refuse to allow myself to be victimized by a mere letter.”
2. Summoning the inner Houdini
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
*Covers screen with hand and slowly reveals the grade, as if this will magically change fate. “Oh that looks like the left side of a B! Ohhhh Ohh! Abracadabra…. yup that’s a D.”
3. Putting the Past Behind You
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
The deed is done, there nothing I can do about it. I can shake this off. I can forget about it. I wonder what outfit should I pick for my GPA’s funeral?
4. Delaying Gratification
I want to check really badly, but what’s the hurry? I’ll just wait a couple of days anyways.
5. The Grades that like to take their time
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
6. Walking out of the class after finishing the exam
“Deep down I know what grade I should be expecting. I know that the only studying I did was a 1-hour cram session at 3AM. However, I also know that I firmly believe in miracles.”
7. How do I tell the parents
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
*formulates epic plan with siblings, “Okay, you start talking about this, and then do this and make sure to laugh a lot so that we create a very relaxed atmosphere, then I’ll casually mention it and hope they don’t hear me. Deal?”
8. Remaking your entire graduation plan
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
“So the withdrawal deadline is Friday at midnight, so if I get less than a 50.001% I can withdraw from this class and retake it in Spring term (which I will obviously ace because I basically know everything) and use the A+ that I will get to resurrect my GPA. Phew!”
9. What did everyone else get?
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
10. To ruin or not to ruin the holidays
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
11. Coming to terms
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| Illustration by H. Brodie |
The Aftermath:
Now don’t get me wrong. At the end of the day, your life does not amount to one letter on a transcript. And to be honest, there are multiple occasions when I expected to get a horrible grade only to find out that I didn’t do as badly as I had thought I would! So study hard, stay focused, and hang in there! An A+ is waiting for you to achieve it. Or an A. Or maybe even B… there is nothing wrong with a good old respectable B.Originally published on December 17, 2015.
Niabi - YouAlberta Contributor
Niabi is a fourth year BA student double majoring in English and Spanish. She’s a relentless optimist, hazardously curious, and loves a good laugh (her friends would say that she has a juvenile sense of humour). When not jamming out to Reggaeton, you can find her trying to cuddle every dog she sees, or serving herself “eyes-are-too-big-for-your-stomach” helpings.
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