Very relatable story. I think I've had similar experiences throughout my life. I never fit the academic mold very well. But whenever I was given the freedom

Very relatable story. I think I've had similar experiences throughout my life. I never fit the academic mold very well. But whenever I was given the freedom to explore a topic of interest without a lot of pressure, I think I always excelled. It was fortunate that computer programming classes at my high school were basically like study hall. The teachers didn't make you do anything. That meant that the handful of us who were motivated out of personal interest could take things as far as we wanted to go. We weren't constrained by a curriculum. When I got to university, I felt like I was way ahead of the game and had already learned a lot of the things that were covered in freshman comp sci courses. I think I understand in theory what the point of grades is. It's hard to imagine a perfect way of deciding who gets access to limited opportunities and who is best fit to take advantage of them. However, I know from deep down that my life would have gone very differently if I hadn't been given those critical chances to wander. Competition can filter out the people who are less innately talented, but just as often filters out people who just don't like having to talk over everyone and fight for everything all the time. If you're just a shy kid or are starting out with a weaker self-image for some reason, you can fall to the bottom of the pile really quickly regardless of whether or not you're smart or worthy of good things in life. That's why I tend to think a certain amount of grade inflation is alright; because it unlocks hidden potential in people who don't look the part. Maybe in a sense it also penalizes people who game the system by chasing grades while missing the real point of getting an education.