Soon I will register for classes for the last time. My last round of classes causes me to marvel at how hard all of us work to avoid learning altogether.

That is not to say that students want good grades, it seems as if the paramount goal is to get decent grades with putting out any effort, which means without learning anything.

One cannot say that grades make no difference whatsoever. In an average class, an A-student is probably more persistent with their homework and getting more things done than a C-student. But this is not to say that a C student is not learning anything. My first statistics class was one of my most difficult. I struggled a lot, but learned a lot of practical and useful things. It also resulted in my lowest grade.

There definitely exists an unfair disconnect between amount learned and grade received. Quantifying how much you learned proves to be a much more difficult. On the other extreme of letter grades is Evergreen, a state college in Washington has attempted to just that. This school offers “detailed narrations” of students progress instead of grades based on the logic that the descriptions are more “revealing” of how students are performing.

Grades do count though and desperation causes people to take desperate measures.  It seems those who most want to cozen the grading system often pay even if they are not caught. There are a million ways people sneak cheat sheets into exams and collaborate illegally. I once was filled with a self-righteous rage when I saw such antics. Now that I have been attending some form of school for almost 17 years, I have determined that cheating is usually more effort than studying anyway. It just seems easier. Plus if you get caught studying, no one is going to kick you out of the university.

Cheating is just one way students avoid learning.