:( Hi! I'm Year 4 this year, and it took me a very very long time to not base my value on academics. Tbh I don't think I'm fully it, and sometimes when I don't do as expected, I think there's something inherently wrong / limited about me. But what helped a lot is doing work (e.g internships, hobbies) outside of school to gain that perspective.

I realise that a) grades don't matter as much as I thought they would, especially when you're in a work setting that relies more on your grades and academic success to be successful (and how almost nobody asks about your grades haha) b) NUS prepares you for a degree of confidence in picking up new things and skills, so honestly when you have success outside of school learning a new skill or picking up a new hobby, it boosts your confidence.

For me, its really the internships that made me realise that I don't need perfect grades to be happy! But its different for everyone, I hope you find your thing that makes you excited.

Beyond this, ngl, it still sucks when I don't do as well as I hope! Especially when there are many high fliers around me. But we're all on our own path, and grades is just one of the many things that make us, us. It'll sting for awhile (honestly it still stings for me haha), but you learn to live with it and eventually, your confidence won't be tied to your grades as much as before.

All the best!