Recently Cartersville High school has switched from its old PowerSchool platform to a new one called infinite Campus. Though at first it was a bit of a ride getting adjusted to it, I have to say I’m glad that I am finally able to see my progress in my classes, which for now is a very good one. However, during the first few weeks of school and the approach of the first FAB Wednesday, Infinite Campus wasn’t something we had all figured out and the students were having a bit of a problem trying to know their grades which caused a lot of anxiety. This leads to my next topic of academic achievements, validation and shame. During the time in which students were getting progressively more upset about not knowing their grades and worrying about how they were doing in their various complicated and no complicated classes I remember having a conversation in which it was mentioned how we worry frantically about our grades now days. My response was mentioning how it’s mainly what we have been taught. Getting good grades does great things in life. Academic Validation has become something so important to many people in this generation. Whether it’s because the school system has pressured us into it or because we wish to prove something. Then on the other hand, there’s academic shame. This is being ashamed of struggling or not being “as smart” as your peers. Perhaps you haven’t begun getting ready for college, or you aren’t even interested in going. We have been convinced by others or ourselves that the only way of feeling accomplished is to work so hard that we burn out. We get tired and remain overworking ourselves because we believe that giving our best might not actually be the best so instead, we continue to wear ourselves out until eventually even the brightest student is no longer as bright. For some reason we seem to forget we still have a lot to learn and live through and we attempt to be settled and have our life planned out even though we are so young. It feels as if we had less time to enjoy our youth because some of us spend most of our time studying and/or working. It is as if we were rushing to live our adult lives and forgetting to be kids and teens.