Essay One: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
The extent that grades have on hindering the ability to learn is discussed in Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed, in which Shevek a college professor is troubled by the importance placed on the grading system as a mark of understanding of a subject at the university he recently started teaching at. One of the first points to be made is that understanding what you were taught isn’t the point of schools anymore, it’s about memorizing the information for a test or assignment.Second, is that achieving high marks in school doesn’t always equate intelligence or lack of it . Lastly, it’s not how well one is able to memorize what they are taught, but how they’re able to take that information, process and apply it to real world problems that shows the extent of one’s true education.
First high achieving students grades are what keep them focused and motivated in school. On the other end of the spectrum are students who simply do not have the willpower or drive to earn high marks in school. There are students who focus who too much on grades, and by doing this end up memorizing the material being taught and not absorbing. They are like little robots spouting facts and information, but not being able to truly comprehend its meaning. In The
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Some simply try to memorize for test and quizzes. Others feel grades don’t reflect their intelligence and can make them feel worthless for a lot of students grades are taught to be so hyper-focused on grades that aren’t going to matter in the real world. If you bombed your statistics math final in 10th grade you’re not going to be expected to learn that material in college if you 're an English major. Getting good grades shouldn’t be the main focus in school, but wanting to learn and become a better educated, well-rounded person who truly is able to process the information they