Putting in my Two Cents on my Grade? That's A-OK with Me!

          After thirteen years of schooling, it is quite evident that the mindset that grades matter more than long term retention of knowledge or the practical application of it, has permeated most every student body. The material learned no longer seems to hold presidence in the fact that it could be of use outside of the classroom; it seems it's only purpose for existence has boiled down to testing purposes or class work. Such is quite a shame; while yes, dedicated students retain the information, it seems they only retain it for fear of poor grades they could receive if they don't. Therefore, the chance for students to give their own input on what their grades should be seems a rare occurrence.

           In review of my work over the semester of Journalism 200z, a grade of at least an A minus seems appropriate to me. I completed all of the assignments to the best of my ability, while learning a few things in addition to direct class work, about organization, the caution necessary when using a thesaurus, and the consequences of procrastination. I learned that as a journalist, you can't throw your notes into the corner with the rest of your books and expect to find them and be able to write a story about them the night before a deadline. Doing so is only asking for trouble. It is thus that I learned the valuable lesson of organization and time management.  I learned to ask questions, even uncomfortable ones, to complete strangers, and how to find an interesting angle on a story idea. I learned how to find out almost anything with the information sources available to me.  In class, I also procured (just kidding, "procured" has nuances of unsavory behavior, and acquired fits better) more information by asking questions and participating in every discussion. This class has given me the materials necessary to become a journalist, and I have committed all of this information to memory. The skills provided are much easier to remember when I go out and apply them for homework. 

It seems the purpose of this class was to teach future journalists how to do their job, how to report and find information, and how to ask questions. It turned already great writers into journalists, by showing them style and format associated with journalistic writing. I feel I have mastered all of these skills over the course of the semester, and as such, deserve at least an A-.