Do you support or oppose the University of Michigan’s move to mask official letter grades for incoming freshmen in their first semester?

Support (32%) – "My worst grade in college came from a mandatory statistics class first semester freshman year, despite a curve and multiple meetings with the professor. I’ve never had an aptitude for math. I actively selected a major and field that doesn’t focus on math. Yet, I was required to take the course (I understand the need for well rounded students), while adjusting to becoming a college student to which I was woefully unprepared. If curves are already enacted in many classes as reports allege, then a pass/fail the first semester seems like a way to tackle multiple problems at once."

• "As a high school teacher, I know there is no way to equitably award grades. Each teacher will have an interpretation of what an A is, making them a biased assessment of skill sets anyway. Do they have the skill set or not? Bottom line. Grades don't matter as soon as there is a diploma in hand and a job."

"I like the idea of making it risk free to try 'new things' even if it is simply going to college. On the flip side, basic education in elementary and high school need to start emphasising basics, which are reading, writing, and arithmetic, and also teach their proper use using analysis and facts along with every day living skills like driving, paying bills, obtaining utilities and saving for retirement. Sadly, parents no longer seem to teach life skills often because they now use shortcuts with technology instead of doing the 'hard work' and honing needed skills for use when tech is not available and you will need them most."

Oppose (49%) – "When I was in school, letter grades were away of telling me how well I was doing. I had to decide if need help, should I study more or what could I do to improve my learning? Letter grades were a tool. I think it's a disservice, especially to incoming freshmen, who are in a transition period and may not know If they're understanding the material correctly."

• "Quit coddling kids! Life isn't easy or fair and you must work hard to succeed. If you haven't learned that by college, shame on the parents, but a University should not try to parent. That is not what is is there for. It's embarrassing that this is even offered."

"I have a lot of frustration with colleges/universities trying to make college something for everyone (and charging insane amounts of money for it in the process), when it legitimately is not the right path for many people - trades, apprenticeships, etc. are all great options and lowering the bar for college decreases the value of the degree for those who do choose to invest in a college education. I almost voted 'unsure' because I can also see the argument that many people just do need a semester to learn how to work at a college pace, may need help with things like dyslexia, etc. to figure out how to make college work for them, etc., but in the long run I still thing it's weird to say that your first semester doesn't matter. Everyone has to adjust to college, and while some people will need more help than others adjusting to that first semester, it's totally okay for someone's GPA to reflect that. That's part of the learning experience and part of the education."

• "The rest of the world - the working world the future graduates will inhabit - does not operate that way. In fact, many entry level jobs are conditional on performance. You can't "ease into" a job and expect to remain in a position for very long. Granted, there are many adjustments new students have to make, but sooner or later - everyone has to learn to adapt to stress. We live in a highly competitive society."

"The best teacher in life is experience. The more a person is "babied" the longer they react and behave like a baby. The real world doesn't soften the punches of life. The quicker they learn the better off they will be and so will society in general. If a student is having difficulty, the quicker they realize they might be on the wrong path, the sooner they can change directions. Either a new course of study or maybe they shouldn't be in college, and there is nothing wrong with either path. This sounds like another exercise that's great in theory but terrible in reality."

Unsure/other (19%) – "I can see the argument both ways because I do think that this generation of students faces some unique challenges created by advancing technology and isolation created social media. That said, I’m not sure that shielding them from the harsh realities of competition and feedback solves the problem. As an employer, I definitely see a lack of readiness in the younger workforce and colleges/universities will have to play a role in addressing the problem."

• "Will not assigning letter grades for the first semester really be helpful if grades are still assigned internally to determine scholarships? I think that would make me more stressed if I knew I was being evaluated for scholarships and had no way of seeing my criteria. As a college student, my scholarship eligibility was much more important to me than my GPA, since i knew that grades weren't as important as experience when applying for jobs. Student debt is a much more present and pressing problem."