Grades, Students, and my childs future.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a part time student. I'm taking prerequisite classes in preparation for a career change. I've already applied and been accepted into a program that starts in 2009. By 2010 I'll have a second bachelors degree and a new career.

I just finished 2 classes at a local community college. I'd been a student there almost 20 years ago and went back for the same reason that I started in the 80's; cheap credits.

The classes I took were Organic and Biochemistry and Ethics. My grades were an A+ and an A, respectively. I’m not bragging. In fact I'm a little surprised. Heck, more than a little.

I did OK in the Chem class, did all the homework, turned in all the assignments and learned some good stuff. Same goes for the Ethics class. I earned the Ethics grade but I'm not so sure about chemistry. I went into the final with an A and am pretty sure I didn't get higher than a C on the test. It was fairly tough but I wasn't really concerned about my final grade. I only needed a 52% or better to guarantee and A-, but I would have had to score in the 90's for the A+. So how the hell did I get an A+?

I think I was a beneficiary of grade inflation. First of all, an A- is 85 to 89%. Second, the drop rate was something like 50%. I did do well compared to the rest of the class, but I know for a fact that I didn't set the curve. In taking the class I got the impression that the instructor was doing whatever he could to boost class grades without acting unethically. Did I get the grade because I actually earned it, or because the school needs to retain students? Or was it because I got along with the instructor? I'm just not sure. I'll take the A+, don't get me wrong, but I'll also always wonder if I got the grade I earned.

As for the Ethics class, I learned a lot. One of the things I learned is that there are few things more useless than a philosopher. I don’t have a problem with people thinking things through. Quite the contrary, I encourage it. But these people are nuts. They argue and they rationalize and support their arguments with nothing more than logic. And guess what? Unless we’re talking about science that can be backed up with numbers, there’s no such thing as logic.

A friend once told me that lawyers are often philosophy majors and now I understand why.

On the other hand I now have a better understanding of where people are coming from when they state a position about how things ought to be. That’s ethics in a nutshell. Ought, not Is. The really interesting part about understanding this is applying it to people. And to myself. After all, I’m people, aren’t I? It turns out that most people, in my experience, have an inconsistent moral philosophy. I know I do. It was a surprise to learn that, and in the future I hope it will help me think through my oughts.

I earned my Ethics grade. Of this I am certain, but still I’m troubled by some things. There were nearly 40 students in the class on the first day and by the final only 12 were left. What is going on with these drop rates? I don’t recall that kind of attrition 2o years ago.

I do think that the quality of students has diminished. These kids can barely form a thought. I’ve heard them read aloud and it makes me cringe. They can’t read smoothly or pronounce words with more than 2 syllables. I know I sound like a cranky old man. That’s because I am one. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

The thing that concerns me the most is The Peanut. What the hell is she going to learn in school? How can I make sure that she actually learns how to think? It seems like school is now all about feelings and self esteem. You only need someone to pump up your self esteem if you're an idiot. Smart people understand their worth.

Have you had a similar experience, or care to share a story? Please tell me what you think in the comment section.

All the best.