Why are we here? No, I don’t mean why are we on this planet. I mean why have we decided to attend college?

Are we here to learn? I’ll bet that a majority of you answered “yes.” If you did then let me ask you: Have you ever skipped a class? Yeah, I thought so.

If we were truly here to learn, no one would ever skip a class. How many of us skip having fun or eating? We don’t skip the things that are important to us.

If we were here to learn no one would have to cram for an exam. Studying wouldn’t be a chore. If we are here to learn we would enjoy — at least we wouldn’t be bored — reading the textbook and attending class.

A true scholar would not care about performance, grades, or a diploma. A true scholar would learn because he or she wanted to. The reward for studying would be more knowledge, confidence, and clearer understanding. How many of us are true scholars?

Many of us are not. We are here for the reward of four years —ÿor more — of completing assignments, studying for tests, and paying tuition: a college degree.

A college degree is supposed to stand for achievement. It is supposed to stand for the learning and knowledge a person has accumulated after years of study.

But for most, it represents the reward for meeting the minimum of requirements to pass with a GPA satisfactory to the student. If we pass through all the hoops we get the reward. For the most part we don’t care what those hoops are. They are not why we are here. All we want is the degree.

Do you disagree? If you could get the same job with or without a degree, would you attend college? When you factor in the costs — time and money — very few of us would.

I am not saying that we do not learn in college. We do. It’s just not our purpose for being here. It’s not our focus.

Most of us begin each new class with an approach something like this: We go to the first class, get the syllabus, and listen to the instructor’s requirements for the class. We look for an attendance policy. How many classes can I miss? We look to see how many tests we will have during the semester. How long do I have until I need to open the book and study? We look to see how many assignments are due during the semester. Are they counted in the final grade? We look at how the grade is computed. Can I fail one test and still pass? What are the minimum requirements to pass this class with a(n) ___ (fill in your own grade)?

Sound familiar?

How many of us ask: What are the topics we will be learning about? Where can I go to find out more? Will the instructor help me learn more than what is required? Those of you who do, good for you. Maybe you are here for the education.

This approach comes from our educational upbringing. In grade school, we were taught that if we completed our assignments and did well on tests, we would receive a good grade.

I can remember in high school asking my teachers,”How much is this assignment worth?” If it didn’t hurt my grade, I wouldn’t do it. I would gauge my effort on how the assignment would effect my final grade. I didn’t care about the learning — and I was an “‘A’ student.” How concerned with learning do you think the “‘C’ and ‘D’ students” were?

In college we worry more about our GPA than we do our classwork.

I have read about schools that give out evaluations instead of grades. Can you imagine the turmoil such a change would cause if we did that here at Iowa State? Our whole educational structure is built on the arbitrary foundation of grades. If we didn’t get a grade, how would we know if we passed? What would happen to our GPAs? How would compare ourselves to our peers?

Now, no one would care that much about not understanding a key concept in a class. Understanding doesn’t matter as much as a grade. Grades are real. We all know what a “B” means.

Grades are an entire column by themselves, but just thinking about not using them shows how much we are consumed by the rewards rather than the actual learning.

Higher education is intended for those persons interested in expanding their knowledge and abilities.

I do not contend that college graduates have not been educated. I do assert, however, that most of them have only completed the bare minimum of requirements.

Why is education like this? Why must we use arbitrary rewards to get students to learn? Is learning that much of a burden that we must make or coax people to attend college?

If our education system was changed to prioritize the intrinsic benefits and motivations of learning, we may learn to enjoy school. If we taught our youngest students that learning is its own reward and not the burden we have made it out to be, we may come to college to learn. If we give students to choice to learn what they wish and to discover the answers to their own questions, we may someday be a society of scholars and life-long learners.

Jamey Hansen is a senior in elementary education from NAS Sigonella, Sicily. He is the editor in chief of the Iowa State Daily.