A for Effort, Essay Example

More and more students today are complaining and even demanding grades to be changed from a grade of “average” to a grade of “superior” because they felt they were entitled to this.  Professors across the country have seen these incidences for over twenty years, though the number of students who feel entitled to better grades is steadily increasing while the quality of content actually being judged is decreasing.

Studies have been conducted on this issue and results conclude many students, regardless of race, gender, or nationality believe if they attend class they are automatically entitled to a certain grade. Actually reading should get them another grade and writing an assignment to be turned in should entitle the student to an even better grade. Where is the justification in this?

The problem seems to begin in elementary school where children are given positive reinforcement, while excellent at motivating them to do better, creates a sense of need in their psyche that they must strive for perfection.  As we all know, this perfection is not always achieved because each individual student possesses a different capability when referring to intellect, reading skills, writing skills, and even motivation. Nonetheless, after twelve years of being catered to in elementary and high school the students enter college with the idea that going to class and picking up a book will justify them getting a certain grade in that class. Actually doing the work will get them another grade. They never take into the account the intellectual abilities, time management issues, organizational skills, and quality of work they are submitting for their academic marks in the classroom.

Sadly, no matter how many professors complain about this, the problem must be faced while the students are young enough to change their internal attitudes because these were not formed overnight and will not be able to be mended overnight.

Reference

Maxwell, B. (2009, February 22). A for effort? Not in my class. Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article977860.ece.