Opinion Essay Sample 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Grades Encourage Learning

Exams and assignments have always been regarded as integral parts of education, and so have grades. While many students tend to see them as something they fear, teachers stand that grades are very good indicators of knowledge. On the other hand, do grades help students in their learning process? For several reasons that I will mention below I believe that grades encourage students to learn.

By showing their level of achievement and letting them have some kind of competition among each other, grades stimulate students’ learning. First of all, grades show students' knowledge. If a student gets a high grade on an exam it means that he understands that subject very well. Conversely, a low grade means that he does not understand it completely. Second of all, students have some kind of competition among each other for higher grades. When a student gets a higher grade then another one, the second student asks himself: "Why do I not have this grade? Is he better then me? ". So, in order to get a higher grade the next time, he tries to spend more time and study more effectively, which makes him learn better. Some people, on the other hand, believe that grades are obstacles that negatively affect learning. They claim that grades cause stress, thus discouraging students’ learning. However, they miss an important point: when a student gets a low grade, he feels that he has some obstacles to overcome and new goals to achieve, and when he does this by getting a higher grade, he feels stronger and more self-confident.

To sum up, I think there is no doubt that grades encourage students to learn, gain more experience and knowledge, and to be more self-confident and persistent. Moreover, I am sure that these small victories will help students to win and succeed in the future.

Written by Gürcan Öztürk, English Instructor at İTÜ