by E. R. S.

Created on: December 19, 2008

I have also belonged to the school of thought that education should be something that is rooted in self motivation. If you aren't doing it for yourself, you won't be doing it well. I've believed that grades, especially as a marker of competition, are harmful to a student's progress. I can use myself as an example:

In high school, I had no firm grasp on why I was really there. I knew I had to be there, and I knew the benefits of an education well enough. But I wasn't seeing the fruits of my labor, I wasn't seeing where it was helping me or how my character or skill set was being improved. I was however, still exposed to the idea of competition. My peers would flaunt good grades and bemoan poor grades, and I learned to do the same. This competitive influence, however, didn't encourage me to do better. Competition never motivated me to apply myself or work up to my potential.

Upon entering college I started to realize what my school work could get me. Taking certain classes would show employers I was interested in a practical educational path. Earning better grades meant I had done well, and would help me get into better housing and maintain scholarships. Mainly though, I realized that having an enriching educational experience makes me more well rounded and ready to enter the work force. My grade point average in college is more than a full point higher than in was in high school. I believe this is because I've put competition aside, and pursued education for my own benefit, not to show off to others.

I've found the best motivator for education is self interest. When I stopped working for parents praise and started working for my own enjoyment and enrichment, I became a much better student, and I can say with confidence that I've observed this in my peers as well.

I can compare this phenomenon to an experience I had working with Habitat for Humanity. I had spent an entire day there moving siding for a house from the workshop to the basement of the house we were working on. The entire day I was tired, the siding was heavy, but I pushed on. I paid no attention to whether someone else was carrying more siding than me, or if someone was taking heavier loads. When I came back the next week, we drove past the house and I saw that the same siding I had carried over was now on the house, and it looked beautiful. It was that kind of gratification that kept me coming back, not the idea that I would be able to say I did better than my peers, or carried a heavier load, or was more praised by my supervisor.

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