By: Reed Eaglesham
“If I had a choice there would be no grades in my courses, but those are the parameters we work in”
At this week’s Prof talk Dr. Erickson, a PhD in Political Science, spoke about the problems with our educational system and the way that most students look at their grades. Going into the talk, I thought that he would say the usual about grades just being a number, and “you’re more than that,” and “don’t worry, just put more effort in,” but he didn’t. Erickson challenged the way our society chooses to think about the numbers that we spend so much of our lives trying to achieve, and he said it in a way that can only be described as poetry.
I had Erickson for Poli 100 last year; to be honest, I ditched most of his classes and hardly paid attention in lectures, but this time, when he spoke, I found myself stuck in my seat. From the onset he showed a kind of genuine care for those in the audience that made you want to lean in and listen to every word he said. In the span of an hour he covered everything from what we perceive as the other, how we react to crises, the beauty of learning, and how we define ourselves. There was a lot to take in, but the main message was that the grades we aim for is not why we as students are at UBC. We are here to question, to wonder, to dream, and to create. Some of Erickson’s best students – the ones that became PhDs at Harvard, Yale, etc. – were the ones that usually had bad grades. It was not because they were bad students; it was because they were excellent students. By not looking at their grades, but diving into what they found passion in, they were able to learn, enjoy learning, and have what they learned stick. Often the way we study is simply to get the grade; we get an A in the course and can’t remember a thing about it after the exam. When you graduate and go into the work force, you’ll quickly find out that your major doesn’t mean as much as you thought it would, and your transcripts mean nothing to your employer. This may sound bleak, and it is if grades are all you’re hoping to get out of a class. Challenge yourself to have questions answered, follow your curiosities, and don’t just take information in – make connections. When we look at learning through that lens, change can happen and differences can be made. Erickson finished his talk with these powerful words:
“No person can be defined by a number; we are so much more than that. We are complex, creative, and wonderful individuals. Please don’t let a grade take that away from you.”
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