When I was viewing some websites to relax myself from the classes, this picture totally attracted my attention. Ok, ok, I know that there are some weird Chinese on the picture and you may have trouble understanding what information this picture is trying to delivery. But, just chill, here I am and let me explain.
Actually, most of the information on that picture all contained Chinese and English, except the Chinese on that green board. It said: Top 100 students whose scores are the highest in this final exam. And there are information like students’ names, classes’ numbers and their glory high scores.
And I believe now it is easy for us to understand what this picture is trying to do; It demonstrates a totally opposite way that Chinese and American schools used to cope with their students’ scores. That is to say that Chinese schools prefer to publish all the scores of their students, especially those best ones’. But, American schools, however, choose to keep the grades only to every individual and make sure the grades are private.
I, an international student, had most of my student’s life in China and just began my college life in California, I have to say that I have a really complicated feeling about this grades’ results coping way.
And I want to say it out loudly that: I really hate the way that Chinese schools choose to deal with students’ grades.
I know that in this country most of the local students may have no idea about how I felt when I was in middle school and high school that all my exams’ grades had to be on a giant board after every big exam. Then, let me tell you how I felt. That is: I feel literally like S***.
This whole “grades on boards” thing not only violate students’ privacy, but also makes everything really creepy; Just think about that your information is on a giant, stupid even ugly board and anyone walk by can see it; Of course, they can even see which subject you are good at or bad at because come on, all your scores are on that board. And trust me when I say this, after a long time, people would easily judge your ability only according to that stupid board.
“Grades on the board” is a pretty normal and even popular thing in Chinese schools because schools consider this way as a strong encouraging way to motivate students to study harder; If you do not study as hard as you can, your not beautiful grades will be exhibited on the board and trust me, that’s the moment you begin to feel like s***.
Things may seem easier for those students who have good grades and their names will be always on the top, but the pressure is unspeakable and horrible. I had this “grades on the board” experience for six years and it dragged me into the pressure abyss for so many times. Once my name is in the top rankings on that board, I had to work extremely hard just to make sure that I would not fall into the bottom rankings; it is not that big deal but it is not decent for sure.
Days like those sometimes can be nightmares.
And things changed a lot after I attended a college in California. The school will never publish my grades to anyone but myself. And professors will also never judge me just based on how well I did on my exams or assignments. Most importantly, I found that I did not become lazy just because I know that other people will not know my grades anyway. However, I still work hard every day, and the feeling that I do not have to worry about the “grades on board” can be really helpful to my “too much pressure” issue.
Enough for today’s blog. And here comes my best blessing to all my readers and everyone:
And btw, not only every night;
Let’s make it every single day!!!