Grades

I found this post to be very insightful and that really mirrors how I feel about grades.Personally I don't think they are a determinant of how smart you are. I feel if I really applied myself their is no reason I couldnt receive a 5.0. I would really like to achieve this but that isnt where my priorities lie. I choose to focus more attention on debate and tend to sort of get by when it comes to grades. I feel that our knowledge at school is constrained and we cant make our selves greater as intellectuals. We are told what to learn and how to learn it. I feel like going to school is a choice. If I wasnt forced to go I would choose to learn certain subjects on my own separate from the established academic structure. I love to learn but I would rather learn about things that interest me and learn about them on my own terms. School is taught in a vacuum and isnt compared to real life. English is the best example of this. We read meaningless texts and we learn about them in a vacuum. I feel like a sheep going along with the sheep herder at times. I recognize that this is the best way for a school to work and is probably the only way. So I willingly choose to be a sheep until the day where I no longer have to be a part of the academic system. School opens doors and I would really like to open doors for myself. School is almost like a game and so are grades. People who get A's are either A)talented in the subject or B) they play the game well. I used to play the game a lot more than I do now. Reluctantly I play the game. I have been afforded with many opportunities and it would be a shame for me to waste them. Learning is fun but the process of grades makes it stressful. What does that letter really mean? Why do people want A's? Most of these motivations are selfish and for some they are for a genuine yearning for knowledge. Personally if I want to learn the material I am going to learn it regardless of the motivations of grades. Grades don't make me a productive citizen they merely open up doors to college and to a job later in life. Who is to say that a Nobel Laureate is smarter than a homeless man of the street. Knowledge is measured in our society by grades. That process doesnt seem right to me. if I want to learn a topic I am going to do it regardless of what people tell me. I am geuiniely curious person and I love to read about anything. Work ethic is of utmost importance to me. It matters more than grades or anything. If I say to someone that something will get done then come hell or high water it will be done. I value my word and my hard work and determination over anything else. When I receive an A I view it as a symbol of my work ethic. In practice school gets you nowhere in the real world. Once you are in the door all that matters is your work ethic. Whatever grade I received my work ethic shall propel me forward to wherever I want to go. At times i feel like I should be a more subervient sheep and at times I choose not to be. I am very fortunate to be afforded many opportunities in life and I want to make something of them. Grades dont determine intelligence. I intelectually pursue things seperate from school. I presume that half of the people who receive A's choose to spend their time elsewhere trying to game the system in their favor. This doenst apply to everyone. For some grades are an area or an outlet to demonstrate what they perceive as success. I dont mean to sound like a pessimist or a non conformist at all. I am happy to go to such a wonderful school and I want to make the most of it. Hopefully the system will change as time progresses. hopefully people will want to learn for the right reasons and not for faulty motivations. I seek to learn for I think are the right reasons. Bettering myself as a person. If grades dont propel me anywhere in life then my work ethic will. School is a stepping stone and one I hope to utlilize for the sake of my well being. Whatever I choose to do in life can be accomplished if I set my mind to it and invest all of my time and effort. Grades wont pose a hinderance to that goal.