How My Grades Improved After I Stopped Caring About Them
Pretty lengthy piece on my new approach to university and education as a whole. An internal monologue sparked by certain recent realisations, increasing academic performance, and an incredible R.C Waldun video.
This is essentially a follow-up to a previous post, ‘Constructionism and the Renaissance Man’, which covered similar topics of genuine understanding and the failings of modern institutionalised education. It was originally written on December 5th, 2020, without any intention of publication, much like many other posts on this site. Again, this is a jumble of impromptu, semi-curated scribbles about my thoughts, accompanied by some 'Editor’s Notes’ to explain my ramblings. Enjoy.
Grades getting better
my NEW philosophy in University
I will not care about the grade - I will be writing each assignment with the sole intent on actually pushing myself in at least one academic direction, to push and learn more, to better myself in some way.
I will come out of each assignment having become a better writer, a better planner, a better typist, a better researcher.
The grade is the least of my worries - this little number does not show how far I have developed as a HUMAN - not just a 'student', a statistic in a system.
'Editor’s Note’: It took me 16 years of formal institutionalised education to realise this fact; that means that 1) I am maybe very stupid, or 2) that the current schooling system does not - in any way - promote this type of realisation or mindset in its subjects. Most probably, both 1 and 2 are true.
When you learn for the sake of learning and developing yourself, there is no possible downside from doing the assignments
regardless of that poor ‘proxy number’, you have IMPROVED. Is that not what education is about? I would shit myself if it was otherwise.
'Editor’s Note’: Excuse my language here. I didn’t want to edit it out due to its mildly entertaining nature.Tim Ferriss' method of business investment - he only chooses projects where, even if he doesn't win, he cant possibly lose.
The experiences and things he learnt, the people he met and the troubles he faced - all lead to him being more prepared for his next and eventual success.
You don't have to win, but you never lose. Guaranteed.
Thus
my grades tanked a little at the start of the semester - but then they came all back up (E.N: Since I was writing much more risky and self-directed responses, I would push a certain thought-process or approach to develop my own thinking, rather than appeal to the criteria alone)
best performing semester in my whole 2 years so far
Previous semester of 2020 went horribly, caring about grades but not doing enough well. Stressing while getting destroyed.
This latest semester of 2020 - so many HD's that I lost count. Not to show off, because I don't care about the grade itself. *(Additional Editor’s Note - at bottom of page)
I personally know I learnt and got better in more ways than those numbers could ever reflect/capture.
That is the true reason - learning is Learning, no matter what. The grade only captures one facet of that development, so it should never be the sole judge of worth and progression within my own mind.
The grades increased as my skills increased; rather than stressing over the results, focusing the efforts on the process makes for far better essays anyways.
Your grades ARE technically a part of 'you', but YOU are NOT your grades.
‘You are not merely this poor, ancillary proxy. This tiny statistic, that measures a particular topic against a standardised criterion.’
it is indeed YOUR grade, there’s no doubt about that.
an extent, the grade IS you; just be absolutely aware that this does not fully reflect your development.
it should not be the sole measurement of success in your life.
'Editor’s Note’: As Ali would put it; “its just another data point”.
But it does not necessarily reflect enough of real progress and development to be something to base your entire life on.
'Editor’s Note’: If, for some reason, this seems like a generic comforting statement or an excuse for bad grades, know that it is not what I intend. Its not meant to be some nice cliche platitude that ‘grades don’t define you’; its a fundamental re-framing to genuinely confront and recognise what you have or have not learnt. This is further explored below in an unapologetic manner.
The Quantification of ‘knowledge and personal ability’ into one number is simply impossible and inherently reductive in nature
granted, I understand why they use these systematised grades; i wouldn't really know how else to do it, haven't thought much on a solution for the entire system.
BUT on the individual level, you can learn to understand this grade as simply a number, not in the sense of the usual 'oh yeah I feel better, its just a number' bullshit. IT IS YOU, but it is not the entirety of your experience.
you might get a great score, and it STILL says nothing about what you truly learnt.
Conversely, you might get a trash score, and it might genuinely reflect that you literally learnt nothing at all.
'Editor’s Note’: This framing therefore does NOT excuse poor performance and learning, it simply recognises that grades are not the best proxy to judge your learning.
The key is this - DO NOT DECEIVE YOURSELF; do not feel good just from a high exam number, knowing full well that you will forget anything useful in the next 48 hours. Similarly, do not feel bad just from a low number, when you genuinely learnt and improved from the experience. KNOW THYSELF.
Incredibly eye-opening YouTube videos by R.C Waldun that elevated much of my existing thoughts on this subject (fellow Australian writer, artist, philosopher)
1. Why I Don't Care About Grades Anymore
* Editor’s Note - from * point:
It came as a surprise to me that many of my friends really took note on this particular sentence; some either found it a hilarious hyperbole or an unsubtle and untasteful ‘flex’. Glad they liked the overall piece, but to me, this sentence was merely a throwaway segment to further express my stance that grades are a ‘poor proxy for measuring true learning’. Might be reading too far into it, though it potentially reveals the overwhelming value that is still being placed on grades (that these friends seem to still subscribe to, whether they’d admit it or not). If grades were no longer something that one cared about, this statement would neither be funny nor strange in this context. Just an interesting observation after a couple of conversations with different people.
