School
"What'd you get?"
This is a common phrase for friends to inquire when recieving grades back on assessments. Most kids feel uncomfortable when someone next to them gets tossed a 98%, while they are struggling in the class with a 79. But what are these numbers? What do they stand for? Not what you know, I can tell you that. In AP Physics, if I score a 49% on my test, that does not necessarily mean that I only know 49% of the topic. So what is the point of these assessments- if they are supposed to be based on knowledge, then how can one assess this based on a 50 question multiple choice test?
I got a little off-topic, but what I wanted to blog about was the future. In 20 years, is it going to matter what you got on that Precalc test? Is one brutal semester of honors biology going to cause you to not get into college? No. So why do we even worry about what we get on that AP Lang essay or that stat quiz?
Think about it. It's crazy, but if you're around my age, then in 10 years you will be either graduated from college or in grad school. Probably in a serious relationshgip, considering marriage and a future to begin. Time is something so intangible and so unavoidable that the fact that we waste so much time focusing on our schoolwork and "passing these tests'.
So, what I guess my blog is supposed to be about (but clearly it's transformed into a rant about why we take tests) is not worrying. I am a victim of this "issue of needing to chill out". But it's not as if I want to spend my life constantly focused on getting A's or reaching maximum potential. The reason I am so tightly strung is that I like to know what's going on in order to reach my "full potential". However, it is hard to do so when people consistently shoot you down or repeatedly knock confidence out of you. Being compared to my brother, I am seen as not as smart, and therefore my drive to succeed is lowered because I feel as if my greatest will never be as great as Zack. This is why I have such an issue with being compared to people- instead of being the (hopefully intentional) motivator, it actually is a massive confidence blow and ruins my drive to do well.
Having these barriers simply prevents kids to succeed. So why build them in the first place?
Interesting. I like your perspective. This is something I have pondered a lot. I, too, struggle(d) with being compared to others and it drives me up the wall at times when it really isn't warranted. And I do feel that the immense pressure of school work is unwarranted at times and tests can be ridiculous. The only assertion that I question is the "not getting into college" part. I see where you're coming from, but enough brutal semesters really can knock you down. More so if it is a subject that directly relates to what you want to choose a career in.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog though! -Kylesh
What a great perspective - LeBron.
ReplyDelete