Schools should make the first year pass or fail due to the fact that letter grades within the first year ignore that students are new to a school and most likely unfamiliar with the teacher. Additionally, grades give extreme anxiety and force students to memorize facts simply for a test rather than actually learning. This school into a toxic competition as soon as students enter. It’s an extremely stressful transition that should not be cluttered with letter grades. Numerous schools worldwide have made the first year only pass or fail.