finals schminals

in the english class i took my junior year in high school, i got an A or A+ on every paper but one. i think it was the second paper i wrote. i stayed after school to talk to my teacher.

"why did i get an A-?"

he sighed.

"look, it's not often that i give out A-pluses. an A- really won't hurt your average..."

"no no no no no. i don't want to talk about this." i covered the big red A-. "i want to talk about this." i waved my other hand over the rest of the page. "i just want to write better."

this is how i feel about grades. i don't care about being a valedictorian or having a 4.0. i never have. what i want is to know that i can communicate effectively and confidently what i've learned. an A on a paper to me says, "well, shoot, you've got this. and i dig what you're saying here. you explain things really well in a style that is pleasant to read." a 95 on a multiple choice test, on the other hand, says, "good job cramming."

so there, finals. in one sense, you are killing me, because i need to pass these classes, and the testing center in which you reside gives me the willies. in another sense, a bigger sense: i am just not into you.