I didn't realize it going into this second foray into schooling, but apparently there is a little controversy behind extra credit. I've read quite a few articles from the perspectives of professors and students alike that voice a negative opinion of the practice of extra credit: from the student's perspectives, we are already busy with life and work, and having to take time to do yet one more project is just too much (it never is too much from my experience), and from the perspective of professors, they dislike having to grade extra stuff and coming up with ways to boost students' grades.

Many professors see extra credit as enabling students who are too lazy to work hard for regular credit. I, however, am a student who puts 100% of my effort into school. I mean, why bother going to school if you are not going to be committed? It is a waste of time and money, and I would not get either of those back by lack of effort. However, sometimes my 100% of hard work and effort does not give me 100% of return. There is where students get frustrated and stop working so hard. No one likes to be reminded that their best just isn't good enough.

That is why I like extra credit and I treat extra credit opportunities like regular assignments. I have to do them. They are related to the curriculum (I've yet to run into EC that isn't) and they help boost your grade. Yet, even when my grade does not need boosting, I still do them. Here's why:

Extra credit allows you to explore outside of the syllabus.

One of my favorite extra credit assignments was going to a Buddhist temple for Philosophy: Intro to Religion. A school buddy and I went to a temple and took a cassette tape tour of a lovely temple and monastery, and got to discover philosophical and religious practices that we were not familiar with. I spoke with a few monks, and actually learned a philosophical lesson that was preached that day. We spent a few hours there, and wrote up a paper for about 10 points.

If we had not done that extra credit, we would have been restricted to the content of the class as far as learning opportunities go. I mean, we could have always went, but I doubt many students would if a professor did not suggest it. In fact, we were some of the few people who did take part in this EC.

Many students, especially those fresh out of high school, don't realize that education does not just occur in a classroom. We are trained to accept that what the teacher tells us is truth, and to follow the syllabus as if it were law. But there's more to the world than just what the teacher presents. EC sometimes can be freeing...after all, there's a whole big world out there waiting to be discovered.

Extra credit allows you to tailor your education to your own interests.

Lets face it: if material isn't relevant to you in some way, it isn't as interesting. This is a big concept that most teachers kind of lose sight of...if they consider it at all. You're going to get more results from a student when they're engaged and can relate the info taught to their personal lives. Its just how it works, but unfortunately we are trained that the students should come to the teacher, not the other way around.

Extra credit may give you, as a student, the opportunity to find a way to make the class subject relevant to you. For example, a professor gave us the opportunity to write a report about children's issues, and I wrote about how schools, for the most part, do not consider the developmental needs of adolescent girls when designing schools and curriculum. I was able to explore things that mattered to me, things that have always bothered me (i.e. there being no pad/tampon dispensers in the high school I went to, bathrooms not being designed for use of menstrual cups, etc.) and my instructor was so impressed he had me talk about it during class discussion.

Extra credit can let you have a bit of fun.

My astronomy teacher offered two extra credit opportunities. One was to take part in a Star Party at an observatory, and the other was to try our hand at photographing the moon through a telescope. Both opportunities were fun, allowed us to get out of the classroom, and exposed us to the wonder of what we were learning. Everyone was happy to talk about their experience, and we compared our moon photos.

I know of professors whose extra credit included trips to see movies, hiking trips, and more. These sorts of opportunities help break up the monotony of school, and help you see school as more than a chore you have to get through.

Extra credit helps you connect with your community.

Oftentimes, extra credit requires you to get involved within the community, meaning, getting involved with a charity or event that helps people. One professor organized a food drive across all his classes, which was then donated to a food bank. I've seen opportunities that require students to explore the inner workings of charities, work face to face with people who need help the most, and come up with ways to make the world a better place.

You can use VolunteerMatch.com to find volunteer opportunities near you.

This is beneficial because many students want to do this sort of thing anyway but don't know where to start. And sometimes they may be intimidated. It helps when someone is leading them into their first tries at helping people, especially if a person has never experienced situations that require them to work to the benefit of others with little reward. Hopefully the experience will be one that will empower students to continue with these sorts of efforts, even when not required for a grade.

Extra credit can seriously save your grade...and can often be a great tool in the learning process.

Before I get into this no-brainer, I want to dispel that extra credit is a freebie given to students who otherwise wouldn't work as hard for regular credit. From what I've seen, students who don't work as hard for regular credit most likely will not take advantage of extra credit anyway. The extra reward of points won't mean much to a student who doesn't value points in the first place. I've seen these students get excited for the prospect of EC...but then always fall through in actually delivering.

For students like me who actually care, extra credit can help us achieve the goal that we are already working towards. I consider myself an A student, and I like to think I give A student effort. But sometimes my A student effort gets me a B, or even a C. Maybe I misunderstood the parameters of an assignment. Maybe I just didn't understand parabolas as much as I thought I did. Maybe something came up...like a kid got sick or I got sick, someone died, or technology failed me. It happens. We are only human after all. Some things are beyond our control.

So when extra credit is offered, it is like a stepping stool to a goal we are so close to reaching, and capable of reaching, but the technicality of points keeps us from reaching. We know we're good enough, and the professor usually does too. Numbers, sometimes, doesn't take our dedication and hard work into account, and we shouldn't necessarily be punished for it. If you're thinking points aren't about punishment or reward, you grossly misunderstand how some students motivate themselves.

Learning from your mistakes is kind of the whole point of learning, and learning is the whole point of school sooo...

I take advantage of all extra credit because I know that despite my best efforts, sometimes I make mistakes. I plan to learn from those mistakes, but the mistakes are what gets recorded in the grade book because they are quantifiable. Extra credit helps me to learn beyond those mistakes and recoup those points, and not be forever punished because of a natural process of learning.

For example, my Statistics for Social Sciences teacher allowed us to come up, in groups, with statistical scenarios to prove that we more or less understood the material when most students made a mistake on a test. He realized that if most students made this mistake, then there was a disconnect between his teaching and his students learning, which does not denote fault on either party. Instead of just going, "Oh well, if you had been better students I wouldn't have to put up with this," he said, "Hey, here's how we can drive home this concept and get back those points, especially since it seems like everyone seems to have missed this important concept that is part of the curriculum."

I also had made that mistake, and was able to recoup 10 points I missed on the test because of it. My grade is no longer suffering because of a simple mistake, and I have also learned this concept in a way that I don't think I will forget in the final.

So the next time you are faced with Extra Credit, think of it as an opportunity beyond the value of points. You are in college for you, and these opportunities can only make your experience better! If you think you do not have time for EC, be sure to check out my posts about making an Assignment List, Planning Assignments, and Project Timelines. Also check out how to plan a semester when you work full time, too! It can be done!

What are some memorable extra credit assignments you took part in? How has extra credit helped you?