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Comment by atdrummond | Hacker News Reader

My final year at uni, my grades didn't matter as I'd already locked down my classification (UK system). So yet not knowing and not caring, I somehow still managed to adequately triage my time across classes. I'm not sure that particular critique carries water with me - if each teacher is designing course objectives with their students, that process should factor in the student's other obligations.

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In the US, your final average grade typically (though not always) follows you for your first 1-2 jobs, at least. So it's quite important.

The objective is a high grade, and learning the material is second, due to the system.

And to be clear, the objective in the author's class is also a high grade. They're not living in another system, they're just pretending it doesn't exist until the very end of the term.

And I'm certainly not saying the system or particularly good, but it is the system that they have to work with right now.

I am American, for what it's worth. Similarly in the UK, the best jobs are restricted to 2:1 or 1st Class Honours degrees and there's been a move towards more American style reporting of the average grade received rather than just the classification.

My point is mainly that I don't buy this system would negatively impact one's ability to time manage courses and extracurricular work and activities. And if grades were to suddenly disappear, companies would find other ways to weed out applicants.

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