With the new grading policy implemented this year, students are now taking advantage of the policy to bump their cumulative GPA’s.
Since semester exams have been eliminated, and grades are based off one of the quarters’ grade, an A first quarter and a B second quarter still results in an A for the semester. Some people argue that taking exams out will cause people to work harder during the quarter to get the grade they want. They also believe that the trend-like grading policy will prevent students from relying on the exam for their semester grade. People say that without exams, teachers will grade harder and students will need to really work for the grade they want.
This year, students are taking advantage of the new policy by slacking off in one of the two quarters. By getting an A in the first quarter, students take it easy in the second quarter and can get a B to keep an A for their final grade. Some students slack off in the first quarter and rely on the second quarter to get the grade that they want. Whatever quarter students do well in, many of them tend to lack motivation to continue working hard for the A and depend on one quarter to get them the semester grade they want.
The lack of motivation is clearly evident in seniors, especially since colleges only see a senior’s first quarter grades during the application review process. As seniors are waiting to hear back from colleges and already got an A first quarter, they sit back and cruise their way to the end of first semester, and can rely on getting a B second quarter.
“Now that I am done with applications and have already heard back from some schools, I am less stressed about my second quarter grades so I am just chilling,” senior Michael Kolodin said.
This new policy is a gift for students, avoiding the stressful exam week and giving students the opportunity to prove their grade during the quarter. After getting a certain grade, people so often determine what grade they need to get to keep their grade. Everyone does it, including myself. As a senior, an A in English first quarter now means I can ease my way through second quarter and get a B and finish with an A, because colleges only see the A from first quarter. I’m not saying I’m actually going to do this, Mr. Hardy. But the point is, most students are going to feel less stressed when they got a good grade first quarter and can slack off the second quarter because that quarter could not matter.
The policy that Montgomery County Public Schools implemented sets students up for this kind of thing, where slacking off has no negative effects. As a student, I am not complaining, but realistically, it is a perfect reason for teenage kids to lack motivation.

Nic Band

Opinion Editor