When Grades Mean Everything

I have another thing to confess:

Back in grade school, I was the kind of kid who practically racks the line of nine grades in almost every subject. Kids like that (including me) were those kind who considers a single line of seven grade as a tragedy.

I was also once an honor student of sorts. Sorts because I only had honors during my preschool and grade one. I remember crying over not being included in the honors list when I was in second grade, but like any other kid, I easily got over it with just a cup of ice cream.

I still rack the line of nines during my high school days, but I also get my share of a line of seven, especially in Math (I have to admit, that subject is my ultimate weakness). And in college, I also had my fair share of ones, twos, even threes. But I can't help but feel bitter about that one subject whose grade made me blow my chance at the honors list.

When I look back at that subject now, I guess I have all the reasons to get bitter. However, I choose to make it my driving force to do better in law school.

The subject: Media Law and Ethics. The grade: 2.75

Today, almost all of our subjects have given their grades. This time around, I'm not expecting a line of one in any of my subjects, let alone a super high grade. Considering the difficulty level of lessons in law school, getting a line of one in any subject can make you a demi-god. Indeed, I mostly got a line of two in my subjects.

Throughout my school life, I found out that grades are indeed just a number, rating how much you have learned in a certain subject. But then the more important thing here is how much you have learned from that subject (or teacher) in your opinion. After all, what's the point of a high grade when you have earned it either through fraudulent means or teacher's guesswork, when you know for yourself you did not learn from it?