Open your mind to learning

I was sitting in class today and couldn't help but notice the amount of a certain man beside me endlessly complaining that he wanted to go over the homework and see if he made a good grade. This in and of itself may be ok, but the professor was trying to show us a way to search online in a more scholarly manner. This was brought up due to a question asked by a student. As I think upon our college years, I have to ask the following question: is our experience a learning experience, or do we only seek to qualify for things in life. Two things arise from this question. One is the idea that we are existing only to qualify for the next level. We exist in a world where our success is measured by our gains, our riches, our fames, and our power. However, our lives are meant for so much more. Yes, we do need to strive for bigger and better things in this life, but we should focus on living for the glory of God. God's plan is superior in thought and reason. It is perfect. Our finite minds alone cannot even beginning to fathom its perfection. Let's not seek to destroy it through our own selfishness, but live it through love and sacrifice. In the end, we will see that our sacrifice has given us more than we could have dreamed. This baffles even the most intellectual minds, but to the heart that has been surrendered to the spirits guidance, all of this is common sense.
The second issue that arises from this is the idea that we go to school to get the highest score. The merit system that has been put into place is somewhat at fault. It shows what we know, and not what and how we have learned. The word how is key in that statement. These schools have been turned into grading centers. A place to make a man a number on a list. However, this is a learning center. It is a place to grow in knowledge. If our time here was meant for achieving the highest score there could be factors that could taint the system for the unprivileged individuals, they key factor being prior knowledge to certain subjects that others do not have. Instead, we should seek to learn. If we truly seek to learn, we will excel. If we seek to do things as unto God, we will prevail in many ways. It is selfish to forever to only seek the highest grade. For in seeking the grade alone, we lose the base of the education. We end up memorizing letters and numbers and never see the entire picture. This time is too short and our minds too finite to throw away on criteria alone. We should seek to understand concepts.
To the students out there with the highest grades, I rejoice for you. However, I implore you to consider the nature of you learning. Is it merely the books, or is it the understanding of books?