I learned because I wanted to, not to get the points

Last week I was late for class because I had an upset stomach and was using the bathroom when the class started.  As soon as I sat down, the teacher handed out a pop quiz.

Even though I had actually studied for the know ‘pop’ quiz – there’s one every week it seems – my stomach was so distracting and blucky that I completely coped out of it.

As soon as I got the test, I wrote big in letters:

I ABSOLUTELY FEEL LIKE SHIT.  I HAVE A VERY UPSET STOMACH.  JUST GIVE ME A ZERO FOR THIS QUIZ.

I then handed it do the teacher, about a minute after he handed it out and told him to read it.

 

He said, “Oookay.”   In a very manner a fact way.

 

And that was that.

 

In retrospect at first I felt a bit guilty about the bluntness of it; but then I thought about the whole thing in prospective.

 

I was late; therefore I automatically didn’t receive the ‘participation’ points for showing up to class.

 

I didn’t take the pop quiz’ which was the only other points we could have received that day.

 

So really, even though I received no points for being in class that day and was even marked absent;  I still made a point to ask questions and learn from the lecture.

 

I wish everyday and everyone was like that.  Go to class because you generally want to learn, and get decide and portray everything you want to get out of that class period and do it.  Not show up because of the mandatory ‘participation’ point teachers must hand out.  Go because you want to get something out of it.

 

So last Thursday that’s what I did.  I had absolutely no credit for showing up and yet I still learned a lot; how fucking cool is that?