Students need to focus on learning, not grades

Students need to focus more on learning and less on getting a perfect grade in class.
   
We as students know that cheating is unacceptable, but there are many reasons why we sometimes think it is our only option. It could be because we do not have time to study and do homework so we copy it from someone else, we could not attend class so we don’t know which chapter the class is on, or we have no desire to study. 
   
Students are focused on whether or not they get their work done so they can reach their ultimate goal of either graduation or being accepted into a program when students should be focused more on gaining knowledge to help them later on in life. Teachers also need to keep in mind that knowledge is worth more than an A. 
 
When I procrastinate on my schoolwork, I often feel like I would do anything to get it done and get a good grade on it. I believe the most important thing is to learn while studying, but there are situations where I feel stuck and stress sets in. As a college student, my goals, other than gaining knowledge, are to maintain a high GPA and pass my classes. I believe most students want to pass their classes with good grades as well, and that could be why there are many students that choose to cheat to maintain these goals.
   
According to a poll I made on Twitter, 58 out of 88 users said they have cheated to pass a class before, and in a study published by Clemson University, 82 percent of college alumni admitted to cheating in some form during their undergraduate studies.
   
Most college classes demand excessive amounts of time studying, not only because it is important for students to keep a high GPA and get a degree, but mostly because of what students need to learn to gain skills and obtain a job. Students need to keep in mind that in order to succeed in the real world they will have to have knowledge that came from studying, not cheating. 
 
 My purpose in college is to learn, and even if I cannot study as much as I’d like to, I’d rather get a bad grade and feel sad than get a good grade from cheating and feel guilty. Although, I understand why other students would cheat. Some programs, such as the nursing program, require a minimum 3.0 GPA to even apply. If you are determined to be a nurse, you must get accepted, and this sometimes motivates students to cheat so they can get their desired grade. 
   
If students put more work into genuinely learning their class material and better managing their time, they would be able to pass their classes with a better grade without needing to cheat. Maintaining information instead of just studying last minute is more beneficial to students in the long-run.