Straight A's along with freely high SAT scores are seen as the key to gaining entry into elite colleges and prestigious careers.

全 A 的成績和自由的 SAT 高分被視為進入名校和著名職業的關鍵。

But does a 4.0 ensure success later in life?

但是，4.0 分就能確保日後的成功嗎？

The US grading system was created more than a century ago as a measure of academic achievement.

一個多世紀前，美國創立了等級制度，作為衡量學術成就的標準。

But in recent years, grades have become an overwhelming source of anxiety.

但近年來，成績已成為壓倒性的焦慮來源。

A 2002 University of Michigan study revealed 80% of students based their self-worth on their grades.

密歇根大學 2002 年的一項研究顯示，80% 的學生將成績作為實現自我價值的依據。

The lower their grades, the lower their self-esteem, and self-esteem isn't the only thing that suffers.

他們的成績越低，自尊心就越低，而自尊心並不是唯一受到傷害的東西。

Research shows that chasing after perfect grades discourages creativity and reduces academic risk taking.

研究表明，追求完美的成績會打擊創造力，降低學術風險。

Over time, some kids even lose their desire to learn.

久而久之，有些孩子甚至失去了學習的慾望。

Their only motivation to study just enough to ace the next test.

他們唯一的動力，就是努力學習，爭取在下一次考試中取得好成績。

The constant quest for perfect grades can lead to high stress and mental health problems.

一味追求完美的成績會導致高度緊張和心理健康問題。

A recent study by New York University's College of Nursing tracked students attending two highly selective private high schools.

紐約大學護理學院最近進行了一項研究，對就讀於兩所極具選擇性的私立高中的學生進行了跟蹤調查。

80% of students reported feeling a great deal of stress or somewhat stressed on a daily basis.

80% 的學生表示每天都感到壓力很大或有些壓力。

Some students feel the need to resort to cheating to boost their GPAs.

有些學生認為有必要通過作弊來提高自己的 GPA。

In a national survey of 24,000 students from 70 high schools, 64% admitted to cheating on a test.

在一項針對 70 所高中 24,000 名學生的全國性調查中，64% 的學生承認在考試中作弊。

With college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT, the pressure can be just as intense.

對於 SAT 和 ACT 這樣的大學入學考試，壓力也同樣巨大。

While one might think students with the highest scores do better in college, that's not always true.

雖然人們可能會認為分數最高的學生在大學裡表現更好，但事實並非總是如此。

A 2014 study followed more than 123,000 students who attended universities with test optional admissions policies.

2014 年的一項研究對 12.3 萬多名就讀於實行考試選拔錄取政策的大學的學生進行了跟蹤調查。

The goal was to compare kids who submitted test scores to those who didn't.

目的是將提交考試成績的孩子與未提交考試成績的孩子進行比較。

The researchers found that when it came to grades and graduation rates, the SAT and ACT test scores didn't correlate with how well a student performed in college.

研究人員發現，就成績和畢業率而言，SAT 和 ACT 考試成績與學生在大學中的表現並不相關。

Students with top grades in high school but only mediocre test scores actually did better in college than students with higher test scores but lower grades.

高中成績優秀但考試成績一般的學生在大學的表現實際上比考試成績較高但成績較差的學生要好。

That's because high school grades demonstrate a pattern of commitment to hard work, but a test taken once during an afternoon only reflects performance on a single given day.

這是因為，高中的成績體現了一種努力學習的模式，但下午的一次考試只能反映一天的表現。

What about top academic achievers, do valid dictorians go on to have disproportionately more success than their peers?

那麼學習成績優異的學生呢，有效的獨裁者會比他們的同齡人取得更大的成功嗎？

A Boston College researcher tracked more than 80 valid dictorians over 14 years to find out how they fared in the real world.

波士頓學院的一名研究人員對 80 多名有效的獨裁者進行了長達 14 年的跟蹤調查，以瞭解他們在現實世界中的表現。

Overall, the best and brightest ended up well adjusted, successful adults with professional careers, but none were categorized as visionaries or trailblazers.

總體而言，最優秀和最聰明的學生最終都成為了適應良好、事業有成的成年人，但沒有人被歸類為有遠見的人或開拓者。

Many of the valid dictorians admitted they weren't the smartest students.

許多有效的獨裁者承認，他們並不是最聰明的學生。

Instead, they described themselves the hardest workers who gave the teachers what they wanted, rather than exploring the material on a deeper level and taking risks.

相反，他們說自己是最勤奮的工作者，向老師們提供他們想要的東西，而不是更深入地探索教材和承擔風險。

If grades don't correlate with long-term success and they take a toll on well-being, is there a better approach?

如果成績與長期的成功無關，而且會對幸福感造成影響，那麼有沒有更好的辦法呢？

In a worldwide study of student assessment, Finland constantly ranks at or near the top in academic achievement, far ahead of the US.

在一項世界性的學生評估研究中，芬蘭的學習成績一直名列前茅或接近前茅，遠遠領先於美國。

In Finland, tests and grades play a much smaller role, and Finland is still credited as one of the best systems in the world.

在芬蘭，考試和成績所起的作用要小得多，芬蘭仍然被譽為世界上最好的教育體系之一。

For the first six years of school in Finland, there's no measure of a student's academic abilities.

在芬蘭，學生入學後的前六年是不衡量其學習能力的。

The only standardized test given is a final exam at the end of senior year in high school.

唯一的標準化考試是高三結束時的期末考試。

Yet Finland students rank top 10 in the world for academic performance year over year.

然而，芬蘭學生的學習成績卻年年排名世界前十。

A growing number of educators in the US are calling for new ways to teach kids, instead of simply memorizing information, experts say kids need to learn to think for themselves and develop the motivation to succeed.

越來越多的美國教育工作者呼籲採用新的方法來教育孩子，而不是簡單地記憶資訊，專家們說，孩子們需要學會自己思考，並培養成功的動力。

Tests and grades are unavoidable for most American students, but they aren't everything, for many, the key to success will be finding a lifelong passion for learning that extends beyond good grades, test scores, and graduation day.

對大多數美國學生來說，考試和分數是不可避免的，但它們並不是一切。對許多學生來說，成功的關鍵在於找到一種終身學習的熱情，這種熱情超越了好成績、考試分數和畢業日。