As the semester comes to an end on Feb. 4 and grades are finalized, many students are scrambling to ask their teachers to raise their grades. However, unless these grades are less than a mere 0.1% away from the next letter grade, the majority of these students are being told that there is nothing more they can do.

This disappointing response leaves many unsatisfied and regretful about their performance, causing students to be even more stressed about their grades in quarter three. One way to alleviate this quarter-end stress is to provide students with the ability to earn extra credit.

Starting at the beginning of this school year, FCPS officially eliminated extra credit so the county could standardize grading policies. Still, the policy only outlines unacceptable forms of credit rather than providing an actual definition. Individual schools are left to determine what is unacceptable or not, making the policy ineffective.

At McLean, although there is no overall school policy restricting extra credit, many departments —such as the English, math and science departments—have begun to include a no-extra-credit policy in their syllabuses.

Despite this move by teachers, providing extra credit presents many benefits. It not only helps students boost their grades, but also motivates students to invest their full effort into assignments, increasing engagement. By rewarding students for going above and beyond, students learn to dive deeper into the content and learn more effectively.

Additionally, providing extra credit to students decreases the overwhelming anxiety tied to grades and the need to perform well in school. Instead, students are encouraged to focus on improving their grasp of content.

Many students often have an ever-present fear that slipping up even once could tank their entire quarter grade. Extra credit, on the other hand, allows students to recover from that one “bad” test or assignment.

Unfortunately, the reason why many McLean teachers do not allow extra credit is because they believe the practice is unfair and provides too much cushion for students. However, extra credit is actually merit-based; it doesn’t advantage students who don’t put in effort. Students who choose to complete extra credit are simply being rewarded for going the extra mile to do more work and absorb the course content better.

FCPS should bring back the option of extra credit for students as it not only motivates students to engage in learning, but also decreases the pressure to perform well constantly in order to receive a good grade.