This past weekend, I attended my sister’s high school graduation and had semi-fond memories of my own. There’s just something about the hope and anticipation of the graduates that warms my heart. They are optimistic for the future, so ready to tackle college and excited they get all the perks and freedoms that come from starting something new. I told them I hope they are ready for college to suck the life from them.

OK, maybe I’m being a bit harsh, because that isn’t entirely accurate. College will be a challenge, academically and emotionally; freedom is not really free. It’s a one-way ticket to adulting: Feeding yourself, paying bills, calling to make your own dentist appointments. You will have emotional breakdowns weekly from the workload, you will never sleep, you WILL gain the freshman 15 (if not freshman year, just know it’s coming for you eventually) and you will have to pick your soul off the floor and drag it through finals week. That’s inevitable. Of course, it is infinitely better than high school because you can finally grasp authenticity, you can stop living for other people or relying on looks and popularity to be successful. Your identity will flourish in college, you will be exposed to so much knowledge and diversity and new experiences that you can literally recreate yourself however you want. You can truly be you. That being said, your life will be sucked out by the American collegiate system.

We know in high school that

sports and the like are valued more than academics, the same as looks are valued more than content, but in college it’s all about grades. There is less emphasis on actually learning and retaining the knowledge, and more on cramming what you need to know to get an A. After four years in college, I’ve gotten away with doing the minimum amount of work to receive an A down to a science. I know what professors want to hear, and I tell them. On the first day of class, I can tell you if I’m going to actually buy the textbook for the class or save the money to spend on some frivolous thing later. Truthfully, the only one who loses here is me. I tend to check out in classes I’m not totally interested in, like math and science courses. I only learn the material I need to know for exams and it flies out of my head as quickly as it arrived.

What about those giant lecture classes with 900+ students...who goes to those? No one takes attendance and the slides and homework are online. I try not to register for these classes because I know I’ll go for the first week then I will go ghost and do the bare minimum to pass. This is unacceptable and I know I’m not the only one who does this, I saw all you geology people with your credit/no credit forms at the end of the semester, scrambling because you know you went to class a total of three days the whole semester. We are paying for these classes regardless and maybe that’s all the system cares about, our wallets, but we should be applying ourselves and actually care about learning something because learning is fun.

I truly do enjoy learning, but college sometimes takes away the joy. No one cares if you retain the material, it is simply about the end result: The grade. This made me lose my hunger for learning because it gave me wiggle room to be lazy, to not try my best because why bother when I can get an easy A? Why bother when professors will give a passing grade so they can keep their jobs even though I barely did anything? Being a full-time student is highly stressful and taxing, of course when there’s an easy out I’m going to seize that opportunity. We are human and our mental health is important. I’m not blameless because I’m taking advantage of a corrupt system, but is there a way to change the system in which students are inspired to actually learn and retain material? Can we demolish the grading system and get some sleep instead? Working towards a goal builds character and who doesn't like that feeling of relief and accomplishment that comes at the end of you actually doing something?

The knowledge you retain will carry with you through life, and even though geology gives you a headache, at least you learned about climate change and can pass on the knowledge of renewable energy to other people. We might actually save the world. We as students are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and be exposed to higher education, even though I am lazy at times and belligerent and bitter toward math and science, there is nothing I value more than my education. The system will chew you up and spit you out but it is important to not become complacent with the corruption. Grades are definitely not everything, we need to learn to value the knowledge we are getting from classes rather than the A’s we are striving for. As for now, until a better system is established, we have to stay up all night cramming to pass exams and stressing over three 10 page papers due the same day. But don’t lose sight of what is really important and don’t be sucked in by the hegemonic narrative. Don't do it for the grades, do it for you because you are truly all you've got when your career as a student is over. Grades don't mean shit in the real world. Go forth with open minds and learn, my friends, your soul will thrive!