D's get degrees

Do you ever feel like you are so consumed with getting the grade, getting the degree, passing the class, that you completely forget to LEARN? Isn't that what school is all about? In my dream world school would be a place you could go to learn. not a place to be tested. You'd go to become a better person, not a lesser one by "playing the game" and "jumping through hoops". People would be people, not numbers. We'd sit outside and talk about stuff. and by talking, and sharing, and stuff-ful thinking, we'd learn. I supply all the art tools one's happy little mind could think of. Brandon would be on constant duty playing lovely tunes for us to enjoy and be inspired by. Brother and SIL would hold discussions about how to be better people in the world. Dad would be banker, which would be the easiest job cause money wouldn't exist. Sissy would talk philosophy and leave us all pondering deep ponders. My mom would be the cafeteria lady and we'd eat PB&J's every lunch. And I'd give gold stars out left and right.

I withdrew from a class today. A class I rather enjoyed. A class that was teaching me real-life-important-grown-up-stuff. A class taught by one of the best professors I've had yet. I withdrew cause I wasn't doing very well on the tests (big surprise there) and it would ultimately affect my GPA poorly which supposedly would ruin my future (you do know how important that GPA thing is right?! like life and death! or so they tell me....). And because I'm so consumed with the grade, I no longer get the benefit of learning.

and so higher education goes....

please tell me I'm not alone in my frustration.