STRESS-RELIEF 104: YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR CGPA.

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In Criminology, we study something called Labeling Theory (shoutout to Howard Becker). It’s the idea that once a 'label' is stuck on someone, they start to believe it’s their whole identity. If society calls someone a 'deviant,' they start acting like one.

In university, we do the same thing with our CGPA.

We let a 4.5, a 3.2, or a 2.1 become the label that defines our worth. If the number is high, we feel like kings. If it drops, we feel like 'academic failures.' But here is the unscripted truth: A CGPA is a data point, not a personhood.


There were days I felt like an 'Incomplete' result. If the decimal point dropped, I felt like I dropped. I’d walk into the department feeling like everyone could see my GPA written on my forehead. I was labeling myself before anyone else could.

I’ll never forget sitting in a Criminology lecture when Dr. A.F. Afatakpa dropped a truth bomb that changed how I look at my degree. He didn't just talk about theories; he talked about reality. He told us:

'The marketplace will teach you.'
Coming from a Registrar, that hit different. It was a reminder that while the school gives us the script (the certificate), the world outside is the one that actually tests if we can play the part. 

I was chasing a 'Perfect Script' that doesn't exist. I was so afraid of one 'C' or 'D' ruining the decimal point that I stopped enjoying the learning itself. I was a student by name, but a prisoner to the point.

But then I had to ask myself: When I get to the marketplace Dr. Afatakpa talked about, 

Will they ask me how many nights I cried over 0.05?

No. They will ask if I can think under pressure. They will ask if I can lead a team. They will ask if I am a person of integrity.

I realized I was over-investing in a Label and under-investing in my Life. I had to break the habit of letting a decimal point tell me if I was 'good enough' for the day.

In school, we are obsessed with the 'Script', the syllabus, the exams, and that final decimal point called the CGPA. We treat the certificate like it’s the destination. But my lecturer's point is simple: Once you step outside these university gates, the 'Marketplace' (the real world) doesn't just read your script. It tests your substance. 

If you make your CGPA the only 'Target' in your life, you’re leaving your mental health completely unguarded.

If someone took your certificate away today, who would be left?

  • What defines you? Is it just your matric number, or is it your character?

  • What skills do you actually have? Can you solve a problem? Can you create something (like a brand or a project) from nothing?

  • What is your relationship with yourself? If you’ve spent four years hating yourself just to get a 4.5, you’ve lost the most important asset you have. When you graduate, the world won't just ask for your transcript; they’ll ask what you can do, how you think, and how you solve problems. Don't let a number rob you of your confidence. You are the architect, not the building.

    The Marketplace doesn't take 'Incomplete' for an answer. The outside world is going to ask you questions that weren't in your 400-level exams. It’s going to ask how you handle pressure, how you treat people (your social circles), and if you can pivot when things get hard.
    Your CGPA is a door-opener, but your identity is what keeps you in the room. Don't spend so much time building your 'Script' that you forget to build the Person behind it.

    So, my question is,     WHO ARE YOU WITHOUT YOUR CGPA?

    Survival Tip: Take a second today to list three things you’re good at that have nothing to do with your course. That’s your real GPA (Great Personal Assets).

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