A Breath of Fresh Air

Done.

The refreshing feeling of finality overwhelmed me as I packed up my bag, shuffled the papers on the desk together and strolled to the front of the classroom to hand in my completed exam.

“In the box, right?” I asked my professor slyly, a nod to his departing words to all my classmates who had completed their exams before me.

He looked up from his periodical, nodded yes, and his eyes fell back to his lap. But as I turned to leave the room, he stopped me.

“I’d like to have a word. Follow me,” he said as he led me out into the hall.

“Sure,” I responded, quickly scanning my brain to preempt what he might want to discuss and prepare a response.

“You had an interview a couple of weeks ago, right?” he asked, upon reaching the hallway. I scrunched my face up in confusion as to why he thought this fallacy was true, but before I could correct him, he interrupted me.

“At [company name redacted]. How did it go?” Oh! Caught in my own web of lies. I quickly recalled that I had e-mailed him a few weeks back and used an interview as an excuse to get out of class.

I had not been a regular attendee of his twice weekly lecture, and he informed me about a month ago that 20 percent of my grade would be determined by attendance, and I was failing. Since, I had been making a conscience effort to attend, but I skipped class a few weeks back and sent in an excuse.

I quickly scanned his face to determine if he was busting me for my lie or if he was truly inquiring about my job search. I had used the company I work at as a cover, figuring that if he was sadistic and called them up to see if I had been interviewed, at least the person who answered the phone would be familiar with my name.

“It was ok. I’m interning there now, and they called me in to interview for a full-time position, but they haven’t decided yet,” I said, covering my tracks. “I’m not sure how it’ll turn out, because they are struggling pretty badly, and I don’t know if they’ll be able to give me a job,” I continued to tie up the loose ends of my lie.

“Well, I hope it works out. I just wanted to thank you for your participation lately,” as I breathed a deep sigh of relief that this hadn’t turned into something much more embarrassing. “You’re a bright guy, and it’s been nice for you to contribute in class.”

I thanked him for the compliment, and took the opportunity to apologize for my horrendous attendance to begin the semester. A little aside here: this class is purely a filler, I could fail it and still graduate, so I didn’t even show up to class until the day before the first exam. When he e-mailed me, I explained my situation, how the class was not a high priority and that I often take class days off because I work three days a week. Since, I have been attending regularly and trying to kiss some ass to make up for lost time.

“Well, I know you have a great deal on your mind,” he finished, then stuck his hand out to shake mine before turning back to the classroom.

I smiled softly and turned on my heels to go. I was incredibly touched by his gesture, not simply because he had asked about my (phony) job interview, but because for the first time in four years, a professor at State College showed a little compassion and understanding.

In high school, the grade point average I graduated with was much higher than I had statistically earned. It was very common at my prep school to round close grades (i.e. 89.2) up to the next letter, and this practice vastly improved my average. I forged relationships with teachers, they liked me personally, appreciated my effort in class, and rewarded me at the end of quarters with As, when really I had only earned a B. I imagine they did it to improve my future marketability, my confidence, and as an incentive to work hard, which I did, knowing that while I might fall statistically short, my effort would at least be rewarded.

College, therefore, has been a rude awakening. While I cannot defend my effort (it has been poor many, many semesters, and the ability to skip class with little consequence has left me laying in bed to noon many a day), I have been on the wrong side of a cruel B plus seven times (my college does not weight GPAs). While my struggles in math have left my GPA at a pedestrian 2.77, and some Cs from a lackadaisical effort lowered it further, a few A minuses in the place of B plusses would have greatly eased my job search.

Unfortunately, at such a large university, if professors had granted me the A minus, where could they stop? It is likely a number of my classmates were just fractions of a point behind me, and perhaps they too deserved the grade bump. But it is frustrating to know my resume is repeatedly passed over because of such an ugly mark, and a little compassion could have improved my situation.

Grade inflation is a huge issue not merely in school but other walks of life. It is a sliding scale, and once you start down the slope, it is difficult to stop the descent; soon, an 85 might merit an A. But it is frustrating to work all semester, earn an average in the 80s, only to receive a grade level that awards me the same point value (in terms of GPA) as one in the low 80s. I could have missed quizzes, blown off assignments and been even lazier and earned the same grade; on the other hand, if I had known the answer to five multiple choice questions I got wrong, I would have earned the A.

High school was meant to prepare me for college and improve my confidence to compete at the collegiate level, and college has been a lesson in reality; you are judged purely on what you know and can do, and your effort means very little. But considering it is costing me thousands of dollars, that is of little consolation. I have had so many professors that seemed delusional to the fact that other classes are even taught at the university, and treat theirs like it is the most important thing ever studied.

Consequently, I have learned the importance of getting the job done, something I did not appreciate in high school, when I was comfortable knowing my personality would take care of my factual shortcomings. Today, however, was a nice break from that harsh reality, and a reminder that there are people who appreciate intangibles and not merely facts and skill. The safety net has been removed, but it is nice to know someone might still be there to dust you off when you come crashing down.