Getting the grade vs. Learning

I have always thought a lot about the debate of a good education vs. getting a good grade. Granted they usually go hand in hand, however I have learned that is not always the case. In high school and even middle school I set very high standards for myself academically. I was determined to get nothing but the A. I did pretty much succeed at that minus a few B's here and there. I do remember many extra credit assignments, late nights of memorizing details and for what? That letter "A" on my report card.

Now that I am in college, it is much harder for me to get A's in every class. College has also made me change my opinion on this debate. I now value a good education and absorbing useful knowledge rather than getting that A all the time. Let's face it, there are plenty of things we study and memorize that we will never end up using later in life, or we won't even remember them the next month. My new outlook is that school teaches you how to learn sometimes more than the actual material you spend hours studying. There are definitely some classes in college I have found immensely valuable and applicable to my everyday life. However, I no longer feel that your grade is a perfect reflection of your intellect or even your hard work. I also have learned that it is more beneficial in the long run to be a mastery oriented learned who cares more about learning for themselves rather than for others. But of course I still get frustrated when my hard work doesn't reflect in my grade!

I also, HATE those teachers pets that somehow get the reward for sucking up to the teacher? Or those who raise there hand multiple times during class just so that they can be heard and recognized. Sometimes those that are quiet are just as knowledgeable or even more intelligent.

For those of you who FREAK out about grades, think about it before you stress yourself out so much, what matters most is you try your best and learn something new everyday!