We are measured and weighed the minute we come into this world, and we continue to be measured and weighed until we leave it. Obviously, keeping track of height does not change the rate at which we physically grow, but what of other measurements, such as grades? My entire life as a student I felt like grades were invented to speak for me because my own voice was too weak and unimportant. Objectivity ruled, so from first grade on, I pushed myself to perform, not learn, because I knew people will use my grades to form their judgement of who I am and what I can do. Luckily, I always loved learning, but even as a doctoral student, I sometimes face a choice whether to submit my assignment underdeveloped but on time, or to suffer the penalty in exchange for the extra time to read, think, and write. In either scenario, I do not win.
In qualitative studies, where subjectivity is not a limitation but a
In grade school, I felt pressured to perform, not learn, because I wanted to be well-presented by my records