I don't know what to do anymore.. School has become SO stressful, and I am afraid if I don't get good grades, I won't have a future. I am trying to walk in my brothers footsteps and get good grades or else I am afraid my parents will be upset. I have been studying my frigging butt off to get good grades and I still come out of my exams with a 60%. I used to get 90%'s... I have one year left of high school and I feel like I have SO MUCH pressure--what if I don't get into college? I'm so tired..

you know…. i could tell you about how pressure creates diamonds & that u should just hang in there & push through the hard times b/c you’ll eventually come out a diamond. but i’m not. instead, i’m going to give you permission right now to be average in school. yes, that’s right - you get to be average for once. no pressure. just do whatever to get by. no stress. but you have to promise me one thing. what’s that? promise you’ll never be average in life. never be average when you’re dancing, when you’re singing in the shower, when you’re creating art, when you’re enjoying the sunshine, when you’re playing with animals, when you’re going adventures with your friends, when you’re exploring. you can be average in school but never in life. let me explain why…. 90+% of companies do not care that you have a perfect gpa. what they care about is your work ethic, attitude, personality, creativity & communication skills. the #1 trait companies look for in a new candidate is good cultural fit. i know this b/c i’ve worked for many startups in the past & had to hire & fire a bunch of people. again, you can be average in school all the way until you get your degree & diploma but never be average in life. your personality is the most important thing u can offer the world. now that we got that out of way… let me share with you a secret i use to remember anything. this will help you in school. anytime you want to remember something you need associate it to something in your house/room/bathroom/garage/closet + create a crazy story/event. example: we want to remember the first 5 presidents of the united states. instead of remembering their names in order, we’ll craft a story in our mind. something like this: george washington was sitting on your bed holding a burning candle (represents #1), John Adams Apple is two feet away from your window, Thomas Jefferson is in your bathroom peeing (sounds like #3) & he’s burping, James Madison is really angry b/c his popcorn burnt after being in the microwave for 4 minutes (4th pres)… you get the idea. you gotta have fun with it. you might laugh when your teacher is talking b/c you’re visualizing & trying to remember what they’re talking about & that’s okay. they’ll understand if you tell them. again, you get to be average now… but that doesn’t mean you get to be lazy. you’re still gonna have to put in the work/effort but this time you’ll have more fun. don’t worry about following in your brother’s footsteps. you guys are different & that’s ok. as for your parents… if they truly love you (which i know they do) then they won’t pressure you into being someone you’re not. you have to grow at your own pace. there are thousands of schools that will accept you. i know, i worked for two different student loan companies (financial aid.com/slx & edlg). colleges just want your money. trust me, they do. good luck. i know you’ve got a kickass future waiting for you. -rob

p.s. the 5th president is james monroe (james rowing a boat on monday) :)

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