By Sam Dupree
It has become common to hear about students switching out of classes that may negatively impact their GPAs. Classes that are actually challenging and enhancing towards a student’s life are thrown aside for worthless classes that are easy A’s.
Teenage years are a time for mental growth and exploration. We have experiences and learn things about the world we live in. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the school system forgot this. It started telling us that good grades and a 4.0 GPA are the only things that matter. They put learning on the backburner and categorized us into nothing more than student numbers, not actual people.
We need to remember that life is short and, in the long run, grades don’t matter as much as we think they do. If someone wants to challenge themselves, they should be encouraged to take difficult classes like calculus or physics. The class may be tough and the student’s grade may not be where they want it, but that doesn’t mean they should switch out. If the student has a desire to learn the subject, they should keep trying and work hard. It’s important for students to learn how to handle difficult classes and taking one will teach someone how to do so
On the other end, high schoolers also shouldn’t be afraid of taking fun or easy classes that may not impress colleges. With all the art classes our school has to offer, it’d be a shame to not take advantage of them out of fear. Learn how to act or make jewelry. Learn how to build a robot or a beautiful vase. Bring that knowledge out into the world and put it to good use.
The fact that we value grades over learning is also evident in the work ethic of high schoolers. I won’t lie and say that I’ve never cheated in a class before so that I could get a good grade. I didn’t care about the learning or material, in that moment the only thing that mattered was a good grade. We shouldn’t be forced into that kind of mindset anymore. We should want to actually know the material, not just slide past with a ‘B.’
We are all powerful, unique individuals and when school makes our only priority in life our grades, they are taking out our individuality and turning us into nothing more than a number. We should have a desire to learn and understand the world we live in, even if it means not getting the grade we might want.
It has become common to hear about students switching out of classes that may negatively impact their GPAs. Classes that are actually challenging and enhancing towards a student’s life are thrown aside for worthless classes that are easy A’s.
Teenage years are a time for mental growth and exploration. We have experiences and learn things about the world we live in. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the school system forgot this. It started telling us that good grades and a 4.0 GPA are the only things that matter. They put learning on the backburner and categorized us into nothing more than student numbers, not actual people.
We need to remember that life is short and, in the long run, grades don’t matter as much as we think they do. If someone wants to challenge themselves, they should be encouraged to take difficult classes like calculus or physics. The class may be tough and the student’s grade may not be where they want it, but that doesn’t mean they should switch out. If the student has a desire to learn the subject, they should keep trying and work hard. It’s important for students to learn how to handle difficult classes and taking one will teach someone how to do so
On the other end, high schoolers also shouldn’t be afraid of taking fun or easy classes that may not impress colleges. With all the art classes our school has to offer, it’d be a shame to not take advantage of them out of fear. Learn how to act or make jewelry. Learn how to build a robot or a beautiful vase. Bring that knowledge out into the world and put it to good use.
The fact that we value grades over learning is also evident in the work ethic of high schoolers. I won’t lie and say that I’ve never cheated in a class before so that I could get a good grade. I didn’t care about the learning or material, in that moment the only thing that mattered was a good grade. We shouldn’t be forced into that kind of mindset anymore. We should want to actually know the material, not just slide past with a ‘B.’
We are all powerful, unique individuals and when school makes our only priority in life our grades, they are taking out our individuality and turning us into nothing more than a number. We should have a desire to learn and understand the world we live in, even if it means not getting the grade we might want.