grades do not matter, stop caring

Note to self:

Grades do not matter.
Stop caring about them.
Yes, you did horribly on that physics midterm. Doesn’t matter.

Why are you in school?
You are in school to learn, to understand how the world works, and hopefully get a job. But hopefully if you learn enough, the job comes with time.

Thus, what does matter is whether or not you learned anything.
Do you currently know more about the subject matter than you did before you took the class?
If the answer is yes, then you are learning. Keep doing what you’re doing, or try to find better ways of learning.
If the answer is no, then you are not learning. Troubleshoot, and do not be afraid to experiment. Find new study methods. Sleep more.

Keep in mind that if you are struggling at the material now, that does not mean that you are always going to be bad at it. Grades only attempt to measure your current level of understanding. There is nothing wrong with taking longer to understand.

Why do you believe you are struggling?
If you think you are struggling because your grades are bad, then think about the variability in grades. They are not a scientifically accurate measurement of understanding. The opposite can also be true. One can have good grades but not have not yet fully understood the material.
Measure your own understanding. Be honest with yourself.

Know your limits. Do not beat yourself up over studying less because you got sick or you needed to make food or you’re simply tired. Health is important. You cannot study well without good health and enough sleep.

Understand that there are some things that will just be difficult for you. You are probably envious that some people grasp content faster than you. Acknowledge the envy and move on. They may simply be better at that subject, but they could also already be familiar with the content, so it seems easier for them. They may also have struggled, you just didn’t see them then.

This is hard to do when it’s 1 am and you’re stuck on a physics problem and you’re tired, but remember that you are studying the world. Someone had to discover the knowledge that is presented to you so simply in the textbook. You have the chance to learn things that did not exist years ago.

When you study, you’re understanding the world just a little bit more.
And I think that’s pretty cool.