Students earn points to get grades. They get grades to get credits. The get credits to get a diploma. The whole thing is one big exercise in make-believe. I told my students that I have earned about a million points in my lifetime and that I have them stored in a closet at my house. I am willing to sell my used points at a discount. They laugh. They think I’m kidding. I tell my fellow teachers that I make out my grades at the start of the semester and then adjust the difficulty of the course so that the grades are correct. They think I’m kidding too.