"It got so bad that by the time I was graduated, the only reading I did was in order to get the grade and the only writing I did was in order to get the grade"

In this quote, the speaker is assessing their past scholastic experience and how it had an unfavorable impact on their love for reading and writing. They explain that the pressure to get good grades had become so overwhelming that they no longer read or wrote for pleasure, however solely for the purpose of achieving an excellent grade. This recommends that the education system had become more focused on grades rather than cultivating a love for knowing. The speaker's usage of "only" stresses the absence of enthusiasm and real interest in reading and writing, highlighting the unfavorable effects of a grade-driven education.