4.0’s and A’s are desired by all students. Many students would rather receive a high grade at the expense of understanding school work, but learning should be valued before grades. Students are supposed to take in what they learn from their classes and apply it to the real world, but how are students supposed to apply that information if they don’t fully understand it? 

When students are being graded they should see their progression and what they need to work on. The letter grading system is overvalued by some students, and not clearly understood by some others. 

Grades do not necessarily indicate that a student has learned something. They do not always reflect what students know and don’t know.

Excessively focusing on grades doesn’t allow students the opportunity to slow down and focus. Most of the time, students move onto the next lesson whether they understand it or not. 

Most students experience this and cram for quizzes and tests. Through cramming, students often try to relearn material in a short amount of time. This “learn-forget-relearn” process is not built for lifelong learning.

If a student isn’t happy with their grade, they may try to bring it up with extra credit. Usually when students ask for extra credit, they are given extra practice for the material they’ve been learning in class. Students often only do extra credit for their grade rather than to improve their learning through. Some students won’t even do the extra work if not given the credit. 

For these reasons, intentions are important. A student’s only takeaway from a lesson should not be to earn an A, but to gain an understanding of the material. 

While students are responsible for their own learning, the educational system and teachers can help guide those students.

Elaine Joy S. Bayudan (‘25) says, “I think that students would excel more through being graded by improving and learning rather than being graded and not understanding what [they] are being taught.”

With all these factors in mind, we should be changing the way students view grading to keep them motivated to learn. There’s always room to improve.