WAG - The Dickens!
Grade expectations
I broke a rule I have that has guided my personal conduct concerning my scholastic affairs. I’d followed this prerogative since my first year at college. At different times, it was adhered to both cognizantly and subconsciously – through pointed and unconscious efforts. It was a violation I hadn’t looked forward to, and I took a long breath before making the deliberate decision to commit to the deed.
I looked up my grades before I started a new semester.
I know this is going to take a bit of context to place things into perspective…
Sometime before I came to the University of Missouri, somewhere up the administrative echelon made the decision to stop sending out printed copies of the semester’s grades. This was intended to save paper, and of course, the time and cost it took to mail all of these updates, I have no doubt.
Thus, upon finishing my first semester of college, I was faced with an unfamiliar proposition.
Flashback
Me: Let me get this straight. You mean my parents won’t know my grades until I tell them? You mean my computer doesn’t have the proper patches so I can’t look up my grades? You mean the university gave me the perfect excuse NOT to find out my grades in a timely manner? I love college life!
Okay, that’s not exactly what happened, but it’s close. After years of having my public school grades delivered to the house, I had finally been given some breathing room. Before, the semester’s grades were almost instantly revealed after their arrival. My grades came printed on a telltale ream of computer paper – often delivered in tandem with my sister’s grades. Organized conspiracy wasn’t a serious option since I wasn’t the one who regularly got the mail and my sister has long gotten better grades than me. Even before she was considered, that made her an unlikely partner in a crime she probably wouldn’t want to participate in.
Stalling could only occur for a few hours, in the time it took for my parents to come home after work. Whenever I heard the phrase, “And how are your grades,” I knew I had no choice but two surrender the piece of paper without any conditions or qualifications. Granted, my grades were never too bad (Except for chemistry, but we don’t need to go there right now, do we? We’re long past talking about nitrogen. I don’t know about you, but I’m moving on…). Still, I always had a bit of regret knowing I had no choice but to volunteer my grades.
I found it easier to release my grades when there was some space and distance between me and my parents (there was also a feeling of safety in some cases, especially when I encountered a random C or two).
The practice of waiting for the semester to start became routine, especially once I became a desk attendant in the residence halls, and later a member of student staff. The crazy schedules that accompany the start of the semester made it easy for me to put off looking at grades for a couple weeks, and in a rare semester or two, months.
When hearing others talk about their grades, I can recall the look of puzzlement on several people’s faces when I told them I still hadn’t looked at my own. I’ll get around to it eventually, I’d tell them. My knowledge or lack of knowledge doesn’t affect a grade (I’ve learned it’s a matter of action or inaction).
Nevertheless, in a recent crunch, I spent time to see what my grades were this holiday season. It’s rare that I’m at a computer that has all the program patches to access MU’s grade program; even on campus I’ve had occasional trouble finding the a computer with the right set of combinations.
I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. I had a bumpy past semester, for reasons already chronicled in the Web site, but I found that I had the best semester grades in over a year. Some of the grades were only the product of an unexpected shift of a plus or minus, but I’ll take the cumulative amount.
I’ll have to work harder to match this set of grades, especially since I’ll be taking capstone classes for my majors this year. Regardless, I’m thrilled about what has happened and for the first time, I find myself starting a semester thriving off the academic exploits of the previous season.
I don’t really have enough semesters left to make it a habit, but it’s a booster I’ll be sure to enjoy.
'And_eventually_share_with_my_parents'
