Today marks the end of my week-long, relaxing Spring Break, and being back at school made me realize something: I have yet to check my midterm grades.
I have no excuse for this either; it is not like I had some incredible, life-altering Spring Break that kept me so busy and devoted to forget about school. In fact, over break I already planned out my classes for next year (yes, I’m THAT girl).
The truth is, I just don’t really care about what letter my work has been given this far. And not because I don’t care about school, because I can guarantee my grades are sunny with a chance of mostly A’s, maybe some B’s. But what does a letter grade really tell you? Nothing.
I’m very fortunate that I seem to be in a department where professors seem to have the same mindset, because two of them had one-on-one meetings with students before break and the others leave comments on everything we turn in.
Conversations or comments are the only real form of evaluation I care about. What did you like? What didn’t you like? How can I better myself to excel at this course? That’s the information I like to know, and that is what I care about.
Unfortunately, not all departments are like that. I watch the Pre-Med, Nursing and really all science students stress out because “THEY NEED AN A,” (yes, in all caps). They’re so focused on a triangular letter that I fear they don’t actually care about the learning or the journey that will actually get them accepted into their school of choice after undergrad.
Perhaps this is just more proof that I’m in the field I belong in, but I would much rather listen to a critique of my work than be blindly awarded a grade any day.
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