“Everyone can stop freaking out about GPA, because in the whole scheme of things none of this really matters anyway.”

Senior Owen Meyer hit the nail on the head when he decided to express his opinion about the hustle and bustle of the freshly posted class ranks. He, unlike many others, realized that class rank and GPA are just hitches in the greater scheme of life.

Pentucket finally decided that it was time to let seniors know where they fall within the class; just in time for all the pressures of college applications, SATs, and college tours. Now seniors can add one more thing to the list of stressors.

In the eyes of various students, the lower the rank of an individual, the dimmer his or future becomes. This mindset has caused a panic throughout the senior class, leaving those only in the top spots feeling safe. Kayla Kravchuk admited, “I wish [my GPA and rank] were higher.”

Not only does this represent the importance society wrongly places on things as trivial as grades, but it also shows that in some peoples’ minds, life revolves around school. Instead of worrying about things like health, family, and friends; people are focusing on grades that will get them into a “good college.” This being defined as a college that will bring about the most success: meaning, money, money, and more money.

What people fail to realize, is that no matter where you attend college, you will be getting an education in a field that you hopefully are passionate about. So who cares if you were number 3 or 149 in the class?

Senior Shannon Fitzgerald understood that class rank and GPA “should not be something to freak out about, but something to be proud of.” She went on to say that, “Even though I’m not high up there, I’m still really proud. I tried really hard in high school.” So, it all comes down to how you feel about yourself. No one can judge you based on you’re so called “intelligence” because GPA and class rank say nothing more than who has been able to pull off better grades. That doesn’t define you personally: no one can truly understand how hard you worked.

Whether you are first or last in the class, high school is just a phase of life that everyone goes through. I cannot determine the future, as it only pins students against one another, making the importance behind GPA and class rank trivial.