What Good Does Getting Straight A's in High School Really Do in Your Life?

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I was the kind of kid who hung out in the parking lot in high school. I rarely went to class, especially if I didn't like the class or the teaher. My senior year I had to take 3 night classes a week, an early morning class, and a full day schedule in order to graduate (and that was after having to take 10th grade twice!) My dad asked me once if I felt stupid because I had to work so hard my senior year while all the other seniors were taking fun classes. I told him, "no. sure, they worked their butts off three years so they could skate for one. I skated for 4 years and only have to work my butt off for 1!" ;~D My transcripts tell me that I got great grades in some classes, but I really don't remember anything I learned from them. In fact, I can't remember the teacher. There are other classes that I got an F, but I have retained a lot of what I learned. In fact, in a lot of cases I learned more in the class that I failed than when I retook it from a different teacher. Years later, sitting in class in college, I noticed something. No one could tell the students who got straight A's from those who barely graduated, or ended up with GEDs. Sure, if you have an Ivy League or other such university as a goal, straight A's are an imperative. However, for most of us, the grades we got are pretty much meaningless. As a dad, I remembered this life lesson. Yes, I encouraged my kids to do their homework and get what they could out of the classes they took. But there were also times we put away the books and did something fun as a family. There were also times I kept my kids out of class for a few hours or a whole day to go do something fun. Excelling is important, but not if it becomes the goal itself. If you excelled at something, but the most you have to take from it was the excelling itself, it's pretty much a waste.