I know that I am a good student. I study, write stellar papers, go to class every day, and always turn in homework on time- early, even. I usually find a way to earn some extra credit. I know that I am capable of success in college and beyond. My confidence ends up temporarily shattered, though, every time I get a test back in class or a new test grade gets posted on Blackboard. Nothing makes my heart sink like getting those "grade updated" notifications on my phone for classes. It makes me nervous. I am a good student. I am smart. I have big career plans. But I don't test well.
It is pretty much common knowledge that the current testing systems in U.S. education are not good indicators of students' abilities. Standardized testing isn't good for learning, it's good for the "information dump" your professors warn you about. Our education system doesn't test how well you learned something, rather they test how well you can regurgitate the information, how well you remember what was said in lecture that one Wednesday three weeks ago. The students that have good memories and overall generally good "school skills" stand out in this format. The students like myself, who sometimes lack academic confidence or have diagnosed learning and attention disabilities, fall flat. I could study for days on end, starting a whole week before the test, and still produce a grade that is less than satisfactory for me judging by how much I reviewed, re-learned, and tested myself on. It's all too common that students excel in high school then find themselves drowning in the academic and stress adjustment to college, and succumbing to the possibility of getting a C is enough to cause panic. Few things are more aggravating than feeling like you've done your best and it still wasn't enough.
If you're like me, you have career plans that will most definitely require you to possess a solid GPA and score high on exams and certification tests. Thinking about all the tests in the future is stressful. I wanted to write this article as a reminder to myself and students like me that while letter grades hold a lot of importance in our education system- they don't always reflect your intelligence. More often than not, people are so much smarter than standard education makes them out to be. And everyone is so different when it comes to school, which is why our education system doesn't work as effectively as it could.
For example:
I am an incredibly social person. I like to get to know people, their stories, and I genuinely care about their well-being. I am confident that I will be a sound, solid, quality medical professional someday. I perform well in social situations and when I am needed in order to help someone. My test grades often do not show how hard I studied or my passion for what's next in my academic career. No scan-tron test will ever be able to encompass my internal love for people, medicine, and life.
My sister is a genius. She is very book smart and shines in academics. She's going to be incredible in her profession when she is older. Her past, present, and future successes are evident in her test scores, essay grades, and achievements in school and athletics. She is a prime example of someone who excels in the pencil-to-paper world of education.
My brother is a lot like me- he struggles with school but is outstanding when it comes to subjects he is thrilled about like science and engineering. He's a very hands-on learner, so his learning style doesn't match how schools want kids to learn. He is so bright but doesn't believe he is because his grades don't reflect his actual abilities. It's so hard to watch such an intelligent kid convince himself that he "can't" - because the school system told him so. He learns differently.
Anyways, my point is: You as a person are far more than the sum total of all your exam grades and worth much more than a single letter on a report card. You are not just a number in the class average percentage, and you're definitely not your failures. Everyone learns differently.
The problem with grades for students who fall into this category of being incredibly bright but poor test takers is that the numbers in red pen circled at the top of the test- while a fairly good summary of the answers correct versus the answers wrong- are not good summaries of who we are.
A letter grade does not define your abilities.
A low percentage does not limit you from succeeding in the future.
A piece of paper does not summarize your potential or your qualities.
A test does not analyze your passion for your career goals.
You are more than a number or statistic in a school system.
And your grades do not define your overall intelligence.
All you have to do is the best you possibly can.
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Matthew Kelly
