Is Passing Enough?

I remember years ago, as a young boy that had just finished high school studies and was fortunate to secure admission in the University of Lagos (Unilag), I was filled with so much enthusiasm.

Like every fresher, I came into the university with big dreams and expectations of excelling in my studies and starting an interesting phase of life.

Alas, reality humbled me very quickly.

During my first year, I did pretty poorly academically and honestly, it got me sad. I think one thing that made the pressure real was the CGPA system. There was this pressure to get a high cgpa and if you didn't meet up to expectations, depression often follows.

Everybody around you kept talking about first class, second class upper, and all the academic titles attached to grades.(It was really draninig having to constantly hear that).

It subconsciously gave a lot of student the competitive mindset and many discarded the idea of teamwork or even trying to help a struggling classmate.

I had a friend in the department of chemical engineering that often kept complaining about his classmates, he said they were too competitive and even hoard information, materials, and useful updates just so they could have more advantage and secure a higher cgpa that their peers. In my opinion, this is unhealthy competition.

I have legit done a course where I understood nothing it. I just had a friend crash course it to me and I followed a patter just to get a 'B' in the course. I was more worried about my grades than actually understanding beacuse there was a pressure not get a grade below 'C'.

With the right mindset, the cgpa system could could be a morale booster and make you reach god-like academic feet.

I admire how the medical students at College of Medicine, University of Lagos are graded. it is simply a pass or fail system. A pass/fail system is designed to reduce that intense pressure and competitveness.

But would it work for everyone?

To be honest, I do not think so. Human beings are different and we react differently to different kind of situations. A student might thrive when there is a grading system because he loves the competitiveness and academic validation attached to it while another student needs less pressure to thrive and would do better in a grading system that is simply pass or fail.

In my opinion, completely scrapping grades for pass/fail may improve student morale, but it could also remove the motivation that drives some students to excel.

I just feel like, the real issue is not the grading system itself.

It is the mindset that has been cultured in students.

Grades should measure understanding, not define self-worth.

At the end of the day, whether it is A, B, C or just Pass and Fail, education is all about successfully applying all that you have learnt and use the information to grow wealth and make informed decisions.