Concentrate on knowledge, not grades

The value of taking a test lies in the experience gained from enduring it. Life is nothing but tests, and we are constantly being judged and graded.

From the time we were sitting in kindergarten, we have had things expected of us. As children we did not question those expectations because they were all we knew.

It is probably safe to say that all through grade school, high school and yes, even here at this ridiculous institution, most of us still refuse to question these expectations.

Surely by now most of the TCU population realizes they know what is best for themselves. There are many of us that truly feel independent. Then why are we still trying to learn for the sake of the expectations of others rather then our own?

What I am talking about are grades. The silly little numbers that are so important to everyone. Numbers imposed on us by the judgments of our professors. They test us and give us work. Then they assign a specific letter to our work based on whether or not they feel we have learned anything from their incessant babbling. It’s all a load of crap if you ask me.

It is a fair assumption to make that the most intelligent people we know don’t necessarily get the best grades.
Perhaps it is wrong to make that assumption. There are plenty of people who think otherwise.

The point is, grades should not be the main focus of our college experience. We learn nothing from having A’s and B’s. Our real learning comes from our everyday experiences. More valuable knowledge comes from learning outside the classroom.

It is possible to learn in the classroom; however, as long as you correlate high grades with what you are learning, the further you get from learning anything. Anyone can memorize countless, meaningless facts and do well on a test.

The real challenge is the actual learning of material and keeping that knowledge for the rest of your life.

No one becomes a good reporter from a class, they do it in the field. Doctors get their real training in the hospitals. Teachers learn to teach in their own classrooms. Most people have heard that Albert Einstein was a mediocre student in high school and college.

My advice to my fellow students is to give up on the ever-elusive 4.0 and concentrate on the knowledge that is right there in front of you. Stay objective. Focus on the things that you find most important and most interesting.

Obtaining actual knowledge is far more satisfying then getting an A because you stayed up all night memorizing some book.

Don’t let your professors fool you into thinking that they are teaching you something or that they can even teach well at all. Most of our professors are worthless and aren’t worth the $1,200 you or your parents fork out for the class.

hat they give you is entirely subjective and biased.

You have an idea of what you want to learn. Don’t let a C stop you from obtaining the wisdom you are supposed to be getting from these classes.

I know it is easy for a philosophy major like me to say this kind of thing because, according to contemporary society, I have no real future. I still believe this idea can transcend all majors, though. I feel that in the end, knowledge is everything and the only thing we get to take with us.

If you get too involved with things that don’t really matter, you end up cheating yourself out of all experiences that can give your life true meaning.

Rick Perez is a senior philosophy major from El Paso.
He can be reached at (r.e.perez@student.tcu.edu).

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