Are You Worth Achieving A?

1359 Words3 Pages

A (90-100%):
The grade that every student and their parent salivates over. It is the highest letter grade attainable and thus the most sought after for. Those who receive this grade are considered the most exceptional students and they are rewarded with an extraordinary amount of gratification for their success. Furthermore, they are usually labeled as the most brilliant and hard-working of their peers. I, myself, have always strived to earn the highest grades possible in each of my classes as that is what my parents and teachers have always instructed me to do. Over the years, I have learned the importance of receiving A’s as an incentive for me to study persistently, as it is evident that they are used as a tool to judge your understanding …show more content…

This entire concept behind our academic system’s grading scale intrigues me, as we have been ingrained by society to consider how substantial of a role earning the highest grades possible plays in determining the outcomes of so many aspects of our lives including our friends, income, spouses, family members, and even our health to a certain extent. When you achieve the perfect “A” you are reminded by your peers the potential and success headed your way, but how often are these compliments truly solidified by grades? The “A” is what challenges students to compete among one another to be considered the very best of their peers, and it can heavily influence a student’s self-esteem in one way or another. A student who is unable to attain the illustrious “A” may be left frustrated, but we must step back to remind ourselves that not all of the most successful people in our world’s history were the highest achieving students. Thomas Edison, one of the world’s most brilliant scientists was removed from formal education after only 12 weeks due to his “persistent questioning and seemingly self-centered behavior,” (). Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg both dropped out of Harvard University in order to put their efforts towards …show more content…

They are given a slight amount of reassurance since they were able to successfully pass, but clearly there is an extensive list of issues that must be addressed if that wish make the jump from “D” to “A”. It is a grade that bothers many of us, as it leaves us thinking that there is some much needed improvement in order for one to bounce back from earning a “D”. It can only leave a student flustered since they do not know what lies ahead for them, and only increases the amount of stress and pressure they must withstand when they are constantly reminded of horrendous it can be if they receive that grade or worse a second time. A student who receives D’s is no longer considered even average, and is now falling behind their peers as they frantically search for ways to catch-up before falling completely behind. This also begins the phase of questioning for the student in whether or not they are truly capable of understanding the material and that maybe they are not in the correct field of

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