Grades. Many of us endure fatigue, anxiety, depression, headaches, and a tremendous amount of stress just thinking about it. Parents often find themselves scolding their children for receiving mediocre grades; some even say their child's markings are shameful. This only leaves the student desperate, wanting to get the highest grade or percentage possible. We've seen this happen before. A student will practically beg their teachers for extra credit or persist in persuading their teachers to round their 79% to 80% just to feel even slightly better. But why? Why do we choose to define ourselves as percentages or numbers on a rating scale/rubric? Why does rounding a student's grade by an insignificant 1% have a significant impact on students' self-esteem? It shouldn't. Although our school systems, our parents, and our peers have pressured us to believe that grades and standardized tests reflect our intelligence, closer scrutiny and other factors help prove otherwise. Grades do not define intelligence just as age does not define maturity, and it would be immoral to base a human's intelligence on a percentage or letter grade. Instead, grades measure a student's performance and should be recognized solely as a reflection of the student's effort, obedience, and discipline. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay If a fish was tested on its ability to climb a tree, it would fail. However, if a fish were tested on its ability to swim, it would thrive and be able to soar in color. Similarly, if a monkey were tested on its ability to climb a tree it would pass effortlessly, but if that same monkey were tested on its ability to swim down a stream it would not succeed and would probably fail. The fish and the monkey represent different and very different strengths and weaknesses. It's clear that they both excel and fail in different areas. If we don't expect a fish to climb a tree or a monkey to swim down a stream knowing that they are different, why would we expect students to excel in all areas knowing that each student also has different strengths and weaknesses? Many factors could contribute to both sides of the spectrum: making the student a success or a failure. For example, a student who becomes passionate about a subject taught in class will likely do better than a student who finds that same subject useless and inapplicable to their life. A student may be willing to put in more effort if they are intrinsically motivated or find that the lesson content may align with a hobby or future career of interest to them. If a student dreams of becoming a nurse, he or she is more likely to prioritize excellence in health classes over social studies. The student may recognize that grades are important but may also realize that some classes are more prioritized than others. As a high school student I have personally known my strengths and weaknesses. For the past 7 years I have gotten a C average in math compared to all my other subjects where I have gotten A and B averages. Despite the number of hours I spend studying and practicing, I tend to behave the same way. Even though I study this also leaves me unmotivated especially since I'm not into math, it never seems to spark or spark any interest in me. The lack of interest and motivation for that particular subject did mesuffer in terms of grades just because I know the field I want to pursue would most likely have little to do with math. In contrast, I typically get an A average in both English and all fine arts because these subjects tend to interest me and I'm very creative most of the time. I prefer practical things and would rather express my thoughts and creativity than solve a seemingly endless math problem. Both are very different topics. Both require intelligence. However, intelligence comes in many different forms. Most people perceive intelligence as one thing: the "intelligence" of the person, often considered fluid intelligence, but there is much more to intelligence than meets the eye. Intelligence also includes the various types: interpersonal, emotional, linguistic, interpersonal, musical, logical, existential, etc. Unlike me, a person who does well in mathematics can express logical intelligence. I, on the other hand, can display a form of linguistic intelligence. Both are still forms of intelligence and count equally. They simply differ and can be applicable to very disjoint scenarios. Furthermore, the idea that everyone is different and thinks differently is unfair to rate all 50+ million students around the world on the same grading scale, especially since the US grading scale was created. over half a century ago. If the world around us has evolved so much, why have our politics remained virtually the same? Grades are and always have been an accumulation of important tests, essays, worksheets, and quizzes. These tests require students to memorize content taught in class. Many students, myself included, are guilty of trying to memorize information without fully understanding it just to do well on tests. Without properly learning the concept the information is practically useless. Learning the concept allows for application to real-world problems and other problems related to that topic. If a student is likely to just memorize/fill in the content, they will forget what they were taught once the concept surfaces again. By teaching a student to remember the information at hand we are training them to function as a robot; training them to absorb information and regurgitate it on paper when necessary. If a student felt less pressured to score well on these tasks and cared more about actually understanding what is being shown, the student would be more successful. To combat this problem, schools and teachers should offer other different ways to evaluate a student in addition to tests. Perhaps creating a political cartoon might appeal more to a student than writing an essay. Guidelines should be given as to what should be included, but how they chose to present their knowledge and understanding should be fluid and vaguely limited. Likewise, rather than bubbling away answers on a scantron sheet, perhaps a linguistically intelligent student would prefer to write a speech or poem inclusive of the required material. If we learned to harness each individual's strengths, we would discover that we are all intelligent and should not feel inferior if we have failed in one form of knowledge expression when there are so many others. In this way, schools would be able to unlock the potential of so many kids and redefine the depth of a student's intelligence. At the same time, grades and standardized tests should not be used to measure a student's intelligence because approx“16-20% of students” experience high test anxiety. It is also shown that students who suffer from test anxiety usually fall half a grade below their classmates.” This supports the idea of ​​having multiple ways for a student to demonstrate their understanding of a skill. Test anxiety could be caused by many things and is often divided into two separate categories: situational causes and mental causes. Situational causes of test anxiety depend more on the circumstances presented during the test. For example, the time given to the student to complete the test or the environment in which the test is taken. In contrast, mental causes of test anxiety may include the fear of failing or losing your mind on a test. Many mental causes are based on the pressure we and our parents put on us to meet certain standards. Most students challenge test anxiety with academic dishonesty. “A survey conducted at Fordham University found that cheaters on average boast a GPA of 3.41 while non-cheaters, those who are honest and rely solely on their own thinking, have a GPA of about 2.85.” In addition to test anxiety, many other disorders and impairments could also affect students' grades. I was officially diagnosed with depression and PTSD in December of 2018. I had shown signs of these illnesses, as well as anxiety and paranoia after experiencing a traumatic illness in the summer of 2017. Although I had masked my symptoms to all, I experienced nausea, vomiting, headache, perspiration etc. I have personally experienced how a mental thought can become something that harms you physically. This had greatly affected my work, my grades, and my GPA, especially since I had no idea how to deal with my trauma. I felt test anxiety, I felt the pressure to fail and do everything exceptionally well to make up for the year of school I had missed before. In the process I had lost the ability to think for myself and resorted to committing a formidable act: academic dishonesty. I would repeatedly and constantly berate myself for this. I knew that my illness had not made me “dumber,” but I still struggled to understand why I couldn't thrive in school like I did before the illness. Many students are like me and tend to hide some issues they face that actually affect their work ethic and performance. While this does not justify that academic dishonesty should be acceptable, it is still unfair to compare the circumstances of all students simply because each student's circumstances are different. Specifically, it is unfair to compare the grades of a student who cheats to one who is honest and a student who experiences test anxiety to one who does not. I know that my grades do not measure my intelligence, my grades do not reflect what I am truly capable of. Unfortunately, society pushes students to believe that their grades measure their intelligence, which is absolutely bizarre. In opposition to this argument some have argued that grades and test scores actually measure intelligence. State-issued standardized tests help reassure students who are not socially promoted. Social promotion allows students to advance from one grade to the next even if they prove unable to meet the required standards. This eliminates the chances of someone being socially promoted or held back because of their race, disability, or even a teacher's display of favoritism. The state issues an assessment policy that must be used by every student everywhere. If every?