The truth is that it doesn't really feel like an end. These things are not distinctly black and white. It's not like one day I'm in college and the next day I'm not. I've been gearing up for this all semester, and I still have a final to study for and all these commencement ceremonies and then moving out of the apartment. It'll be several weeks more before I leave Champaign-Urbana, and even so, I'll be back. In reality, life is more accurately respresented as a continual process of change. Where school really ends and summer really begins is pretty much a blur.
Still, they make a big ceremonial deal out of this time of life. What do they call these sorts of landmarks? "Coming-of-age" or something. I guess everybody needs their symbolism to feel like they are making some kind of progress through life.
I recently attended an awards reception for people who will be graduating with honors. They are going to engrave all of our names on a bronze tablet that hangs in the hallway of the main library. It means that our GPAs were in the top 3% of our graduating class, which I gather is determined by college. While standing there trying to balance glasses of lemonade and plates of appetizers, I couldn't help wondering what it is that all of us have in common to have gotten such consistently high grades, because I can guarantee you that it's not hard work and dedication or even intelligence. I mean, that's not to say that we aren't smart or don't work hard, because we do, but I'm sure we're not the hardest working or the smartest. The hardest working are the ones who get B's, because they care but they're not smart enough to get high grades without trying, so they develop a great work ethic. The smartest ones realize the truth that grades don't matter, so they refuse to let the grades run their lives. The bronze tablet winners are more likely just the most perfectionist, obedient, and obsessed. The speech the Chancelor made did not pick up on this, and was mainly trying to impress upon us, by evidence from past statistics, that we would be the ones to go out and change the world. It was meant to be inspirational, I guess, but it felt empty to me. I wonder what I would come up with to say at a graduation speech... Could I do a better job? I wonder if that Chancelor got good grades when he was in college. What do chancelors of universities do anyway?
Ahh,
1 comment:
Hey Beth,
Came across your blog today. Have to agree and disagree with you about the bronze tablet thing. I totally agree with you about smart people who realize that grades are not the ultimate measuring stick of ability and potential but on the other hand, there are plenty of very bright people who work their asses off.
On the flip side, Illinois is not such an academically rigorous school where if someone truly works hard, they might have to settle for a B because of limited intelligence.
I have learned the hard way that things like grades are a good indicator of future success because to some degree, it measures effort along with ability. Recently, I have realized that a good work ethic is not only a product of self discipline and maturity but also toughness. Sometimes, I fear that my best work will not be good enough and that fear alone can cause me to procrastinate and not give my best effort.
Those who consistently work hard learn to deal with such fears and stay the course for their goals. So when people judge you by your grades, they are probably seeing something more than a meer subjective assessment of your academic success reduced to a single letter. They're seeing a certain level of maturity, discipline and toughness that will get one through just about anything in life.
This is a long winded way of not only saying congrats but also not being so disillusioned by the whole thing and truly be proud of the accomplishment.
Hope you're doing well!
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