Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
To most students, the start of a new semester is like the academic equivalent of a new year. With new classes, there seems to be endless possibilities for what’s to come, and the determination to lock in and remain an academic weapon throughout the entire term is at the forefront of many returning students’ minds. While it is undoubtedly a worthwhile goal — like many of the resolutions made earlier this month — this declaration may not always be as easy to keep up with as it initially seems.
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The fact is working to keep grades up can be a discouraging campaign at times. It isn’t rare to hear jokes being made about one poor result dropping a student’s grade significantly, at times by an entire letter grade. While these situations take on a comedic light due to how extreme they seem, anyone who has experienced such an event knows there is a fair bit of tragedy involved as well. As the semester wears on, maintaining desired marks may begin to feel more and more like a battle of attrition.
Attrition is defined by Merriam Webster as “the act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse or attack,” which is a common strategy used to wear down an enemy over time. Ignoring the complexity added by weighted grading scales, it is easy to see how grades obtained through a point-percentage system fit into this description.
Realistically, the accumulation of lost points begins to add up much quicker than full marks do. While a single poor result will do obvious damage immediately, a number of high grades on assignments of similar worth only result in a slow creep back up. When classes aren’t going as well as desired, this makes every returned assignment feel like a hit rather than an achievement.
This stress only continues to heighten as higher-stakes assignments and exams begin to approach with midterm and finals season. It may begin to seem like several good grades are worth nothing compared to a single bad one, seemingly giving students no room to make mistakes or have a bad day without severe consequences. Though the break in mid-spring interrupts the endless grind much sooner than the one in fall, this is still an extremely tiring pursuit.
Regardless, it is worthwhile. After waxing on about how discouraging maintaining desired grades can be, it may be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That being said, even if keeping grades up feels like being on the losing end of a battle of attrition, it is essential to remember that every bit counts.
Though it seems like a world away at the moment, the struggle will feel lucrative when it grants you the ability to walk out of a grueling final knowing that no matter how it turned out, the class won’t be reappearing on your schedule next semester. And extra credit — the ultimate holy grail for a student — may always appear to save the day.
Reach Hayley Bisant at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
