Giving up on conversation—click, click, click By Susan Jung he blonde is sitting across the table from a pretty brunette, steam trailing out from her coffee cup as she takes a small sip before putting it down without looking. One inch closer to the edge of the table and the cup would have tipped. The brunette speaks to her friend, yearning for her attention, but the blonde is focused on someone else— someone who isn’t even there. The brunette’s desperation is evident in her actions: her futile attempts to make eye contact, her nervous laughter, her feigned indifference. I notice the vein in her forehead becoming more pronounced—it travels down from her hairline to her left eye like a lightning bolt ever pulsing, but never hitting ground. It’s that incessant beeping that’s keeping her coffee companion’s attention from her—that never-ending, torturous sound that occupies all of her friend’s time and thoughts, blocking any other voice from entering her consciousness. And then the inevitable click, click, click that follows with an urgency that is incomprehensible. The brunette can’t take ° it anymore. She must put an end to this. Already, her hand is acting independent of her brain as it inches towards the open cup of scalding liquid— with hesitation at first, then with steady determination. Liquid at that temperature could cause second degree burns, or if she was lucky, third. Her fingers are mere millimetres from the cup; all she has to do is tip it to send a burning stream onto the target’s lap. The blonde is still unaware, still clicking away. The sound becomes unbearable, accelerating in speed and volume until the background noise has become mute and all that is heard is that monotonous madness. Just when I think the moment of triumph has arrived, just when I am on the edge of my seat to see vengeance being delivered, the brunette grabs her own BlackBerry and starts texting. She has given up on conversation. How much do grades really matter? By Trevor Doré, Opinions Editor Trevor Doré opinions editor enone As college students, many have us have spent a good chunk of our lives working for grades. In elementary, kids competed for the most smiley face stickers and in high school report cards were send home for parental authorization. Grades are what we know best. It has been hammered into us that good grades reflect and increase chances of future successes. Straight-A students go on to get high-paying professional jobs and live comfortable lifestyles. We are set in this mentality of achieving the best grades possible even if it sometimes means sacrificing social activities and putting life on hold in the process. But how much do grades really matter? There is an old quote that says, “School is a place where former A students teach mostly B students to work for C students.” Although this may be an over exaggeration, perhaps it holds some truth. In general, I am an advocate that high school doesn’t adequately prepare students for the obstacles that they will encounter in “real life.” According to University of Chicago-trained psychologist Michael Thompson, “The set of skills required to be a good student does not match the set of skills to be a success in the world.” Canada Research Chair in emotion and health at Trent University James Parker adds, “High school marks don’t even predict how well you will do in first-year university.” There have been many famous successful dropouts throughout history. For example: Winston Churchill was at the bottom of his class, Richard Branson left high school to run a newspaper he founded and Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard in his third year to build Microsoft. Although these famous examples are most likely exceptions to the rule, they do send a message: you don’t have to be a straight-A student to be successful. It comes down to a deadly combination of IQ and EQ, motivation and drive. So do grades really matter? Although grades may not be a predictor of future success, they no doubt matter when looking for university transfer and entrance. Some employers even take the nn AY infamous GPA into consideration when hiring. Overall, grades may help you get into university or help you get that dream job but education is about more than letter grades, it’s about higher learning and questioning. Learning about yourself through experiences— what you do and don’t like and what you’re good at and not so good at. Unfortunately, a major percentage of course grades consist of tests and assignments that fall within the next couple of weeks. So, take the time and dedicate them to your studies, but don’t forget to get out there and experience the real world at every opportunity. 15