Growing up in an immigrant household, my parents always relayed the importance of strong academics to achieve success. They grew up in Vietnam, where life was difficult and unstable. Yet, they put their blood, sweat and tears into their education because it was an escape from this harsh lifestyle for a better future. This was true, as I grew up more comfortably in Australia, a drastic environment to theirs where activities outside of academics were highly valued. I remember some friends being able to achieve scholarships and awards through their athletic achievements or musical talents. It was when I realised that unlike my parents, there were boundless more opportunities to achieve success than just grades. I felt conflicted, what did I want to focus on? Grades or Extracurriculars?

I didn’t know what extracurriculars were until I was in High School. My primary school didn’t offer them as much, just a few sports and school concert activities. So, people’s parents would sign them up to classes outside of school. As mentioned, my parents didn’t know what extracurriculars were, so they led me in the only path they knew, academics. However, I ended up deciding to join a few to get a taste after my friends asked me to join. I participated in a range of activities. Volunteering at the local soup kitchen. Playing basketball and doing taekwondo. Attending choir classes. The list goes on. Yet, it was too overwhelming. Honestly, I struggled to keep a balance between these extracurriculars and my schooling. I was conflicted with the mindset of academics I grew up with compared to the actions that the rest of my peers were taking. Unlike my peers, I wasn’t as exceptional in my extracurriculars. I didn’t participate in any leads for my choir performance, nor did I achieve many wins in my sports. It had seemed I started too late. There were others more skilled, and it was too difficult to catch up to them. Even if I tried, which I did, it became too demanding for me. As a result, I re-evaluated my decision to continue extracurriculars as they seemed unfitting for me.

Instead, academics was where I thrived. I must admit, when I was younger, I wasn’t the most exceptional student. My parents valued grades and education so they spent most of their guiding me through concepts so that I would understand and not struggle in school. Education was all my parents knew as a form of success. They only wanted the best for me. I started improving and performing well in school. As a result, I stuck to what I knew and what I was good at which was studying. High grades opened many doors for me compared to extracurriculars. If I performed well in my education, I would be able to not only obtain the scholarships and entry into higher education like my peers were obtaining, but also jobs, internships, and respect from others too. However, the stress and overwhelmingly competitive nature of education also led me to feel physically tired, anxious, and confused at what I was doing. I found myself insecure whenever my grades fell a bit, and worried about being able to compete with so many people since there are so many others you are up against.

So, a High GPA compared to Strong Extracurriculars truly depends on what you want to do, what you enjoy and value. In the end, my priority was achieving high academics. For me, I could success more easily compared to extracurriculars. But at the end of day, it’s about balance and it is truly your decision.