Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Shitty 2nd Drafts
I have been looking at this paper for weeks. The closer we get to this deadline, the more frightened I become. What if it is not good enough? What if I don't get an A? It is hard to prioritize work during stressful weeks such as this one. How much time should I allow for Econ studying while still working on my paper for this, and a problem set for my energy class? Well if I get "this high" of a grade on my econ test, I can probably get an A in the class, so I should study more for the test.... But if I don't do well on this paper, I could be sacrificing this grade. I wish we lived in a society that did not bear so much weight on grades. I went to the career center last Friday and the first thing the counselor said to me was, "GPA is the first indicator employers look at". I think that people have much more to offer than a number. If I could do something incredible for a weekend, like go on a two day adventure to the Adirondacks with some friends, I would definitely sacrifice studying. College is all about making experiences that will last a lifetime, and learning about how the world works, so you can become a productive and engaged member of society. I know people that study for hours for tests and get B-'s and people who look over their notes for 10 minutes and get A's. I think there are better ways to test knowledge than written tests. Weeks like these, where every teacher assigns some huge assignment, are so shitty for pretty much every student. Are tests (and grades) for teachers to evaluate their student's progress, or for the administration to evaluate teachers? Happy studying.
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Damn. Firstly, I'm not just commenting on this because it's what Professor Schwartz used to back up her reasoning for giving us all A's (which was pretty cool). I'm commenting because I agree with each and every word you wrote, and the ideas that Professor Schwartz brought up regarding why we actually work so hard. It sparked a conversation that really made me think. After she said we all got A's, I was practically crying from joy. But then my mindset changed, and I thought, so what am I writing for now? And finally, it was for myself, for my own progress, and for my own understanding of the literature. It was no longer for the grade on the last page, but it was for the comments on the pages I saw that daunting grade.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone can relate to what Sam says here. Everyone is more than just a letter grade, the problem is, that's how it works. As much as I would love to change the system, how would we even begin to do that? How would employers, grad schools, and med schools judge us. Do you really want to have your doctor be someone who failed their bio classes? There has to be some way to get qualified people into those positions. The system does suck, but you have to respect it for what it is. For me what it comes down to is how much to sacrifice in order to get what you want in the future. Maybe you don't have the crazy college experiences of partying every weekend, but then you could end up with your dream job. Nothing in life comes for free, we have to earn it, and there has to be some way to measure our work. I'm not saying I like the system, like Sam said, it can be so unfair, but I think I've been brain washed to the point where I can't imagine any other way education could work.
ReplyDeleteI, just like everyone else I'm sure, also agree with the words you wrote. As excited as I was when Professor Schwartz announced we were all getting A's on the essay, it didn't really make me think hard until midway through editing and reediting my draft when it struck me as to why I was still working so hard on the essay. It really made the essay more about me and my own self fulfillment as opposed to seeking fulfillment from others.
ReplyDeleteI, just like everyone else I'm sure, also agree with the words you wrote. As excited as I was when Professor Schwartz announced we were all getting A's on the essay, it didn't really make me think hard until midway through editing and reediting my draft when it struck me as to why I was still working so hard on the essay. It really made the essay more about me and my own self fulfillment as opposed to seeking fulfillment from others.
ReplyDelete