Society wants perfection. In the same way that men and women seek to alter their bodies to replicate those of porn stars students seek to alter their study habits – and sometimes even their morals – to achieve a perfect 4.0. Though grading scales are useful and highly efficient they inherently pressure students to forsake education’s primary purpose: learning. Instead students submit to the temptation of obtaining a perfect score trivializing the importance of learning in the process.
In kindergarten students are taught the ABCs as the alphabet and as a grading scale. Perfect scores and essays result in As while imperfect scores and poorly completed assignments result in inferior grades. The almighty A is a tangible symbol of perfection tempting students just as calendar centerfolds tempt those seeking physical perfection.
In general students work diligently on assignments in order to earn an A or pass a class. Rarely do students disregard the grading scale to focus purely on learning for their own intellectual benefit. They chase after that A though not on a treadmill or through HydroxyCut diet pills and they expect to find success. Yet at a certain point in the chase the student overlooks his or her value as an individual to conform to “A” standards and consequently fails to realize that perfection is simply a matter of perception. Flaws are inevitable and learning to embrace imperfections (and thrive accordingly) is the path to success.
In addition there are few tangible benefits to working harder than is needed to earn an A on an assignment. Straight-A students have little incentive to maximize their effort and so are often content to turn in assignments that are acceptable as As and nothing more.
Fortunately there are alternative options to the grading system to consider. Several institutions of higher education in the United States do not issue grades at all such as New College of Florida Bennington College and Hampshire College. These institutions offer students narrative evaluations in courses instead of letter grades placing emphasis on individual learning. Similar institutions such as St. John’s College Reed College and Sarah Lawrence College deemphasize grades by adding narrative evaluations yet provide letter grades for transcript purposes.
By grading through qualitative evaluations these institutions challenge students to thoroughly complete assignments to the best of their ability encouraging them to find satisfaction in hard work and not in GPA.
This method has proven thoroughly effective: From 2000 to 2004 Reed College was ranked third in the nation for the overall percentage of graduated students who hold a Ph.D. according to the “Weighted Baccalaureate Origins Study published in 2006 by the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium.
At schools like Reed, perfection is conceptual, and not a tangible image. GPAs, on the other hand, tempt people to conform to the grading scale’s expectations and become a 4.0 student. This commonly compels students to cheat or bribe to attain good grades, completely diminishing the value of learning. In fact, 64 percent of American high school students admitted to cheating on at least one test in the past year, according to the 2008 Josephson Institute survey Ethics of American Youth.”
Consequently perfection is personified by a 4.0 – the ideal image students conform to while simultaneously negating their greatest ability to be successful separate from their GPA. In the same way women undergo breast augmentation surgery to achieve the “ideal image” instead of simply embracing their flaws and preserving their individualism.
In college students learn a new alphabet: “A” stands for Adderol; “B” stands for binge drinking; and “C” stands for copping a look at someone else’s exam sheet.
In this sense GPAs encourage immoral behavior when students should be learning. Doing the right thing by not cheating on tests and assignments may give students good karma but it could potentially punish them with a lower grade. And if the perfect GPA is the ultimate goal good karma often takes a back seat.
Regardless of this it is sadly highly improbable that schools will stop using the traditional grading scale. When dealing with large numbers of students it is much more efficient than narrative evaluations and it does provide some incentive for students to work hard. Yet students and teachers must be aware of these shortcomings to ensure learning and not GPA is the central concern of education.
Good grades may seem to be the ultimate goal but learning to achieve to the best of one’s ability is what truly matters. Morality and a healthy sense of personal achievement will come in handy in the work force when grades are no longer applicable.
Humans are inevitably imperfect. Creating a perceived image of perfection like a 4.0 GPA constructs false expectations just like Jenna Jameson’s breasts. Students should not focus on graduating with a 4.0 but should instead focus on learning. Besides$50 000 a year should pay for much more than a GPA; it should pay for personal enrichment and real mental development.