Grade Inflation Isn’t the Answer. It Just Moves Your Anxiety.
University of Michigan’s new pass/fail grading policy looks like a mental health win. But easing grades doesn’t remove the pressure to prove yourself—it just pushes it into internships, extracurriculars, and quiet self-doubt. Anxiety doesn’t disappear when the letter vanishes; it finds messier channels. If we want students healthier, we need to change the psychology of achievement, not just obscure it.