When it comes to extra credit, some students jump at the chance to raise their grades, while others wonder if it is just a meaningless bonus.
Extra credit can be very beneficial to students who struggle in some classes. Senior Brianna Vasquez feels that extra credit can be both a way to reinforce her learning while also earning grade points.
“I do think extra credit is very helpful, specifically in classes that people seem to be struggling in. It not only helps boost your grade, but it can also help you understand the class and assignments better,” Vasquez said.
Sophomore Chylyne Sheffield said that she likes that extra credit can help students if they do not score well on an important test or quiz. Sheffield feels that students should take advantage of any extra credit opportunities their teachers provide.
“Sometimes my grades are really bad, and I take any opportunity that is given to me to improve my grades,” Sheffield said.
Teachers have to decide whether they will offer any extra credit in their classes, weighing the pros and cons. Anatomy teacher Avital McQuigg explains her feelings towards giving extra credit, saying how she does not offer it consistently but gives it out once in a while to make sure her students feel comfortable with the information and excel in her class.
“I feel like it shouldn’t be given out all of the time, but it is very beneficial to students even after they do all their work,” McQuigg said.
However, extra credit can be seen as a meaningless bonus for some, and they wonder if they will even do it. Vasquez states that even though she does take extra credit opportunities, she sometimes does not take them due to her understanding of the topic.
“If it is something that I already know and understand, I am not taking the opportunity… I feel like sometimes it can be too much work since it piles up with homework,” Vazquez says.
For some, extra credit can be a vital opportunity to recover from past challenges, while for others, it might simply be a way to take a quicker route to success without fully engaging with the material. Extra credit should reinforce learning, not replace it. Schools must ensure extra credit serves to challenge, not inflate, academic standards. Whether extra credit is a lifeline or a shortcut depends on how it is approached.
