In a world where GPA is capital for graduate school applications and meaningless in the workplace when requesting a higher grade for your college class, what matters more: Collective learning or Grades?

This topic came to mind after taking a sociology class, in which I did my fair amount of work, whereas some might even say above and beyond, and unfortunately left the class with a grade mark of an A- - before I emailed my professor arguing on my behalf of an A. Luckily, I was able to get the grade I wanted, which was an A, but it came at the cost of a damaged relationship with my professor and a reflection of whether grades matter more than learning. 

Outside of College, the only place where grades matter is with financial aid, scholarships, and graduate school opportunities. In a world where higher education in many fields grants more opportunities for those who would have never accessed them previously, graduate school extends itself to be the 'Great Equalizer' that college pretends to be. This concept of graduate education, in theory, works to allow students on opposite sides of the socio-economic classes the opportunity to be able to attain the same types of jobs and levels of sophistication - e.g., Doctors, Lawyers, and PHD professionals alike. 

But, in order to get into this otherwise elsuive 'equazling expirence', either your academic excellence needs to match the reputation of the school, or your pockets do. So, with that being said GPA in college becomes capital for those who want  a chance athigher education. Thus is asking for your professor to bump up your grade that insulting and encourages the lack of accomplishment in real learning? 

While considering this topic, I asked friends, family, and AI alike whether my courage to ask my professor for the grade I felt I deserved was justified or insulting and whether it ruined the idea of learning. Many people conferred that the approach for a regrade request mattered more than the request itself. It was as if the grade was an arbitrary phenomenon, and the encounter mattered more. For context, with my encounter with my professor, I led with facts from the syllabus, the comparative work I did for class projects versus the final grade I would receive, and how it didn't necessarily correlate with the amount of work I contributed. 

To sound less like a dickhead, I approached the email with gratitude and mindfulness for my professor's work and feelings. Prior to this encounter, I really enjoyed the class and the professor, yet, after, I can not say the same.

In other classes I have taken both inside and outside of my major, professors have not minded the fact that students will ask for regrade requests. Yet, with the response I got back from my sociology professor, it seems like they had not encountered such straightforwardness in advocating for their grade. While I was met with an agreement regarding my regrade request, I was asked to reflect on whether the sociological lessons we had learned in the class had been comprehended in my brain because if not, why did I make this request? Moreover, I was met with an even more important question: "How could you imagine this being an equitable process if certain students feel as though that is an option and some students would never email a professor and say hey, can I have an A instead?" 

Upon reflection, my regrade request was not asking for equity among my peers but equity for the grade I worked hard to ascertain. In my approach, I led with an important factor, which was that I went above and beyond for my final project by creating two 36 x 54 paintings, whereas the majority of my peers created essays. With the class average being an A-, does my work fall in line with the rest of the class? 

Another important factor as to why I feel comfortable asking for regrade requests is because they are incredibly popular among male students, yet with female students, it's a point of contention. Should I accept my grade despite doing more for the class than my peers? I learned a lot in this class, but the most important lesson I learned is whether learning matters more in the college process than grades.

Honestly, it depends on the type of college process one wishes to undergo.

Learning is only half of the process. While learning does many things, and understanding is the root of knowledge and true ingenuity, what does it mean for students who want more out of higher education and reach the heights of becoming Doctors, Lawyers, and PHD professionals alike? While I would have received an A-, I made an important note that an A-is is not a bad or poor grade, as I stated in my email, and I even respected the thought that it would not terribly ruin my GPA, yet with that being said, my work is not equal to an A-. 

Since this post is less of an academic piece and more a discussion board, I am open to hearing other's thoughts. Please email TheStackRuns and truly reflect on what matters more: Grades or Learning?