There are a lot of great things about college. New friends, parties and sports events make up some of the most unforgettable memories of our lives, and we can make choices about our college experience every day. Above all, we have the responsibility of making our own choices in designing our studies.
One of the great things about college is that professors structure their classes the way they want. Each professor has his or her own teaching style, and in most cases, students are free to choose the professors and subjects they want to pursue. With that freedom comes an obligation to challenge ourselves to get the most out of our education in order to have a fulfilling future.
The University Undergraduate Council has started a discussion of grade culture to address a perceived grade inflation issue — grades rising without any evidence that students are performing at a higher level.
But grades are only a measure of effort, not knowledge, intelligence or capability.
Indeed, grade culture needs to change, but grade inflation is not the biggest problem. The curriculum here at the University is challenging, for the most part. The real problem is that students still focus on getting good grades rather than going out of their way to challenge themselves.
While the Undergraduate Council is evaluating grade culture, why not examine what is truly important for students to take away from education? Business and journalism courses, the two most popular majors at the University, emphasize job skills and teach students to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to real-life situations. The business and journalism programs also offer ample out-of-class clubs, organizations, and internship opportunities to help students gain experience and build their portfolios.
Perhaps the University should abandon traditional grading systems and look to the business and journalism programs for ways to evaluate students based on what they do, not how they test.  With less emphasis on grading, students could seek learning experiences for their own personal growth and not have to waste their time cheating or bullshitting their way through courses.
With technology making research easier and more people graduating from high school with Advanced Placement credits and higher SAT scores, entering educational intelligence levels are higher than ever before. Employers want motivated people with standout resumes and practical experience. They are looking for independent problem-solvers and creative employees who offer an edge to making their business grow, not worker drones who can memorize facts for a multiple-choice test.
Unless you’re planning on going to graduate school or staying in academia, your future success and employment probably rely less on grades and more on demonstrated initiative and extracurricular involvement. So rather than flocking to easy courses or going to ratemyprofessors.com to find the supposed easiest graders, think of your courses as an opportunity to expand your mind, challenge yourself, and get the best experience. See it as getting your money’s worth.
It’s up to the University to provide opportunities for students, and it’s up to students to seek the opportunities that correspond with their passions. You may not get a job in the same field as your major, but if you’re truly educated, you can apply what you learned in your major to your career. Plus, it would be ridiculous to expect a grade every 10 weeks in life.
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