In Northwestern’s ultra-competitive academic environment, in my opinion and experience talking with other students, a lot of them prefer to take classes that get them easy As and boost their GPAs over classes that challenge them. As someone who has taken both mindlessly easy classes and classes that had me pulling my hair out in stress, I can see the pros and cons on both sides of this argument. However, at the end of the day, the point of college is to grow academically and stretch your horizons. That’s why, even though I have certainly suffered through difficult classes, I think that the struggle I underwent was worth the invaluable knowledge I gained.
Look, I definitely get the appeal of trying to boost your GPA. Especially as Northwestern students, we feel the competitive academic pressure. Whether it’s because we are considering attending graduate school in the future or just want a way to validate our academic achievements, having a high GPA seems valuable. However, when you choose to take that easy-breezy class where you try to learn as little as possible you ultimately cheat yourself.
Right now, the approximate cost of Northwestern is $94,878 a year. That is no small price. If you take four classes per quarter, each course costs approximately $5,596.50. Considering this high price of education, in my opinion, taking a class solely because you’ll get a good grade – especially if you have no interest in that class – is a financial waste. In any other circumstance, if you were asked to spend over $5,000 on something that you didn’t want, you probably wouldn’t agree to do it. So why waste money on a class that means nothing to you?
College is your one chance to take challenging and educational classes before you enter the working world. When you leave college, you won’t have access to high-quality professors, the extensive Northwestern library archives, free classroom equipment or anything else that could bolster your studies, so you should seize this opportunity before it’s too late. Also, college is quintessentially a period of exploration in your life – not only socially, but also educationally. If you don’t take that class, you may never get to truly explore your passions and expand your horizons. But if you do take that class, not only will you get to learn about something you adore, but you may also find that you would like to pursue it professionally after college.
Ultimately, education is a privilege. According to the Census Bureau, in 2021, 37.9% of the U.S. population aged 25 and above had a bachelor’s degree. This means that the majority of Americans are/were not in the position we are in where we can freely explore disciplines of our choosing and enlighten ourselves without the confines of having other primary time commitments. So why should we waste this privilege?
I know how hard it is to take a class that truly challenges you, even if it does focus on something you love. I don’t love burning the late-night steam or the daunting image of an endless list of homework assignments to do. However, every time I have finished one of these classes, I have been grateful for the opportunity to maximize my educational experience and grow academically through difficulty. And, regardless of the stress, actually achieving something – whether that is a high grade or just an assignment you felt reflected your learning – is something to be proud of. And you would never get the chance to feel that sense of pride and accomplishment unless you actually tried and took the difficult class.
