--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At UCLA I quickly learned the knack of…" description: "\"At UCLA I quickly learned the knack of getting grades, a craven surrender to custom, since grades had little to do with learning.\" — Hugh Nibley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/hugh-nibley-13330_customs_at-ucla-i-quickly-learned-the-knack-of-g_1042445.jpg" --- # At UCLA I quickly learned the knack of getting grades, a… ![“At UCLA I quickly learned the knack of getting grades, a craven surrender to custom, since grades had little to do with learning.” quote by Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/hugh-nibley-13330_customs_at-ucla-i-quickly-learned-the-knack-of-g_1042445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/hugh-nibley-13330_customs_at-ucla-i-quickly-learned-the-knack-of-g_1042445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/hugh-nibley-13330_customs_at-ucla-i-quickly-learned-the-knack-of-g_1042445.jpg) > “At UCLA I quickly learned the knack of getting grades, a craven surrender to custom, since grades had little to do with learning.” [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grades are seen as superficial, not reflecting true learning, leading to a surrender to institutional norms. **In simple terms:** Grades don’t equal learning. Key Takeaway Seek deeper understanding. Themes education authenticity conformity Mood critical thoughtful Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - college courses - self‑study - alternative grading Key Concepts Critical pedagogy assessment theory Questions to Reflect On - How can students demonstrate learning beyond grades? - What alternatives to grading exist? A Different Perspective Grades still influence opportunities and perceptions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customs/) [Getting Grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-grades-2443293/) [Grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades/) [Grades Craven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades-craven-2443292/) [Grades Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades-little-2443294/) [Knack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knack/) [Learned Knack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-knack-2443295/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender/) [Ucla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ucla/) [Ucla Quickly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ucla-quickly-2443291/) ## Related quotes > [Junior was being chided for his low grades. Little Robert, who lived a few doors away, was held up as an example. "Robert doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-braude/junior-was-being-chided-for-his-low-grades-little-robert-who-lived-a/) [Jacob Braude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-braude/) > [I'm starting to teach now: I teach in the graduate film program at NYU and next year I'm going to be teaching at Los…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-m-starting-to-teach-now-i-teach-in-the-graduate-film-program-at-nyu/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [Really, UCLA's a great place as well, but they don't have the kind of environment they have here. The fans here have a passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/really-ucla-s-a-great-place-as-well-but-they-don-t-have-the-kind-of/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [I studied at UC Santa Cruz before going on to do a grad program at UCLA. Santa Cruz was like an awesome hippie summer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/i-studied-at-uc-santa-cruz-before-going-on-to-do-a-grad-program-at/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [In his recent book, When Brute Force Fails, UCLA's Kleiman argues that new strategies for targeting repeat offenders--including reforms to make probation an effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-von-drehle/in-his-recent-book-when-brute-force-fails-ucla-s-kleiman-argues-that/) [David Von Drehle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-von-drehle/) > [UCLA takes care of me. 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Michigan has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/there-s-no-other-state-none-that-s-as-connected-to-their-basketball/) [John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/) > [I always liked UCLA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevon-looney/i-always-liked-ucla/) [Kevon Looney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevon-looney/) > [Growing up in Los Angeles, I was incredibly fortunate to be taken to theatre by my parents to see everything at the Music Center,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dori-berinstein/growing-up-in-los-angeles-i-was-incredibly-fortunate-to-be-taken-to/) [Dori Berinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dori-berinstein/) > [I hate to say anything that may hurt UCLA, but I can't be quiet when I see what the NCAA is doing to Jerry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-hate-to-say-anything-that-may-hurt-ucla-but-i-can-t-be-quiet-when-i/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [I took my first acting class at age 6 because I found out that's what Carol Burnett was doing - acting. Also she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lakin/i-took-my-first-acting-class-at-age-6-because-i-found-out-that-s-what/) [Christine Lakin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lakin/) > [I went to UCLA as pre-med. When I was there my freshman year, I auditioned for a play and got it, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-gubelmann/i-went-to-ucla-as-pre-med-when-i-was-there-my-freshman-year-i/) [Fiona Gubelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-gubelmann/) > [At the very top state institutions, like UCLA, Berkeley and the University of Texas, however, the trend of downward minority enrollment remains persistent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/at-the-very-top-state-institutions-like-ucla-berkeley-and-the/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) ## More by Hugh Nibley > [Joseph Smith could not have picked a better year to start The Book of Mormon than 600 B.C.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/joseph-smith-could-not-have-picked-a-better-year-to-start-the-book-of/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [ \[Eve\] sees through Satan's disquise of clever hypocrisy, identifies him, and exposes him for what he is...\[ever since Satan has\] had it in for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/eve-sees-through-satan-s-disquise-of-clever-hypocrisy-identifies-him/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [The worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/the-worst-sinners-according-to-jesus-are-not-the-harlots-and/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Only if you reach the boundary will the boundary recede before you. 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Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting he is a righteous man. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/who-is-righteous-anyone-who-is-repenting-no-matter-how-bad-he-has/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Competitiveness always rests on the assumption of a life-and-death struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/competitiveness-always-rests-on-the-assumption-of-a-life-and-death/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Being self-taught is no disgrace; but being self-certified is another matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/being-self-taught-is-no-disgrace-but-being-self-certified-is-another/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Why do people feel guilty about TV? What is wrong with it? Just this: it shuts out all the wonderful things of which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/why-do-people-feel-guilty-about-tv-what-is-wrong-with-it-just-this-it/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Nobody loves the rat race, but nobody can think of anything else—Satan has us just where he wants us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/nobody-loves-the-rat-race-but-nobody-can-think-of-anything-else-satan/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Why read the Book of Mormon? Because angels do not come on trivial errands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/why-read-the-book-of-mormon-because-angels-do-not-come-on-trivial/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [If you pray for an angel to visit you, you know what he'll do if he comes. He'll just quote the scriptures to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/if-you-pray-for-an-angel-to-visit-you-you-know-what-he-ll-do-if-he/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) [Explore all 50 Hugh Nibley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) ## More Customs quotes > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [What is philosophy but a continual battle against custom?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/what-is-philosophy-but-a-continual-battle-against-custom/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Often a quite assified remark becomes sanctified by use and petrified by custom; it is then a permanency, its term of activity a geologic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/often-a-quite-assified-remark-becomes-sanctified-by-use-and-petrified/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [To me the female principle is, or at least historically has been, basically anarchic. It values order without constraint, rule by custom not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/to-me-the-female-principle-is-or-at-least-historically-has-been/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [There will be no lasting peace either in the heart of individuals or in social customs until death is outlawed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/there-will-be-no-lasting-peace-either-in-the-heart-of-individuals-or/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The strongest reason for giving woman all the opportunities of higher education, for the full development of her faculties, forces of mind and body;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-strongest-reason-for-giving-woman-all-the-opportunities-of-higher/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. 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