By Christina Park — Used to think B meant “good enough.” Learned that B means “not there yet.”
Last updated: May 2026
I was a good student. Not great. But good. I turned things in on time. I followed the rubric. I got mostly A’s and B’s.
Junior year of college, I wrote a paper for a history class. I thought it was fine. I got a B.
Most of the time, I would have shrugged. A B is fine. Move on.
But something about this paper bothered me. I had worked hard on it. I thought it was good. I wanted to know why it was not.
So I went to office hours. I asked the professor: “What could I have done better?”
She pulled out my paper. She had written comments in the margins. I had not read them. I just looked at the grade and moved on.
She said: “Your arguments are fine. Your evidence is fine. But you are summarizing, not arguing. You tell me what happened. You do not tell me why it matters.”
That was the first time someone told me that summarizing is not thinking.
What I Changed
Before that conversation, I thought a good paper needed facts. Lots of them. I would pile on evidence and call it a day.
After that conversation, I started asking myself: “So what?” After every paragraph. Why does this fact matter? What am I trying to prove?
I also started reading the comments. Not just the grade. The margin notes. The suggestions. The questions. That was where the learning was.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Looked at the grade first | Read the comments first |
| Summarized facts | Made an argument |
| Moved on after the paper was returned | Went to office hours |
| Thought B was fine | Wanted to know why it was not an A |
What I Learned
A B is not a compliment.
I used to think B meant “good job, keep going.” Sometimes it does. Sometimes it means “you did the work but you did not think.” No one told me that before.
Comments are more important than grades.
The grade tells you how you did. The comments tell you how to improve. I was ignoring the useful part.
Office hours are not just for struggling students.
I thought office hours were for people who were failing. They are not. They are for people who want to get better.
How That Conversation Changed My Writing
I started writing differently.
- I stopped starting paragraphs with “Another reason is…” That is summarizing. I started with claims. Statements that could be argued with.
- I stopped ending paragraphs with facts. I ended with analysis. What does this fact mean?
- I stopped assuming my reader agreed with me. I started anticipating objections. Answering them before they were asked.
My grades did not change overnight. But my writing did. Eventually, the grades followed.
What I Am Not Saying
I am not saying B is a bad grade. It is not.
I am not saying every professor gives useful comments. Some do not.
I am just saying: I spent years looking at a grade and moving on. The one time I stopped to ask why, I learned something that stuck.
A Small Suggestion
Next time you get a grade you are not happy with, go talk to the teacher. Not to argue. To ask: “What could I have done better?”
You might learn something. Even if the grade does not change.
Also, read the comments. Not just the number or letter at the top. The comments are where the learning is.
The Bottom Line
I got a B on a paper. I almost shrugged and moved on. Instead, I asked why.
That conversation taught me the difference between summarizing and arguing. I use that lesson every time I write now.
The B did not change. But I did.
About the author: Christina Park writes for work now. She still thinks about that professor’s comments. She is grateful for the B.
This article reflects personal experience. Ask for feedback. It is the only way to improve.
