Rate Your Students posts a dialogue about grades vs. learning. In the red corner, we have a student whose stated objective is “nothing short of getting the best grades possible”. In the blue corner, we have a cynical academic first-person-plural who “know about the outside world [...] and [...] don’t even have to acknowledge it”. Round one: fight!

I butchered both of those quotations for the sake of flow. You’d probably better go read the full exchange on RYS, just to make sure that I’m not bullshitting you.

This is the point where I jump up and down, point my finger, and shout, “See? SEE? That’s what I’m talking about, that right there!”

This anonymous student just wants grades. I quote:

All ANYONE looks at is how well we did. We both know that. So what’s the motivation to speak up and argue? Why run the risk? That sort of prevelant mindset may upset you, but it’s reality. It’s logical. It’s reasonable. And I certainly think it’s understandable.

This is a perfectly logical argument flowing from a premise of steaming bullshit. The premise?

All ANYONE looks at is how well we did.

Well, no. The only people who care about how well you did in school are the HR people who put your resumé at the top of the pile. Grades will get you an interview.

Now, let’s say you get your interview, and from your interview you get a job in your field. Now what? Your grades won’t help you again until you leave this job (voluntarily or otherwise) and apply for another. You have to fall back on what you learned in your fancy expensive degree. If you learned the fundamentals of your field — you know, the stuff we’re trying to teach you — then picking up the specific skills your employer needs should be pretty straightforward.

If you majored in grade-grubbing and minored in boozeahol, things might not be so easy.