ADN

Drew wrote:...I've done minimal work, had a ton of fun, and aside from about 10 classes, totally blew it all off, and I have a 3.92 GPA...

Just out of curiosity Drew, what is your university major?

Dude, I have been told all my life that I am an underachiever...I have always tested well, and it got me into places where my GPA wouldn't...I finished school with a 2.0 flat and went on to start my own businesses...I won't go so far as to say you've wasted your time, but unless you're doing something you feel extremely passionate about, your GPA sucks anyway...

I'd be as pressed to say that I learned more about life in college outside the classroom than in it...Like DD said, I also majored in one thing in college and never worked or wanted to work in that field...Counselors told me to pick that major and I did because I had no preference and was good at it...Now I realize I'm good at most things, and great in others...So, I guess it all works out...

I would suggest that you enjoy yourself a bit more, have some experiences...And if what you've chosen to study doesn't ignite you internally, or come very easy to you, you should do some self discovery and find something that suits you...

But I have never had an employer hire or make mention of my GPA and college courses...If you're all books and no common sense, you'll be extremely dysfunctional in the real world IMO...

My daughter maintained a 4.0 plus (Advanced Placement classes) and was Valedictorian of her High School class. She just graduated from college with far less than a 4.0 from college, but had an absolutely wonderful time and college experience. Now she's out and looking for work in the area of Animal Behavior. She decided after her first year that she didn't want to go to graduate school for her Veterinary Doctorate. Sooooo.... she's just ending a stint as a Girl Scout Camp Counselor and Equestrian Director. Who knows where she'll be in 10 - 20 - 30 years.

I never would have thought 30 years ago when I graduated college, that I'd be working for a major bank. I had my life pretty much figured out. But life has a funny way of interfering with all your grand plans. It's been a journey and I can see the progression, but someone on the outside looking at my life and work history would scratch their heads and say, "WTF!"

Hmm, thanks guys. Great words of advice there that has got me thinking very well. What you guys are saying makes a lot of sense definitely. However, this is the question I keep asking myself forever: if grades are not important, how come so many students want to get that 4.0 and why are all universities giving huge loans and money to students who perform so well academically? Me for example, I got $6,000 from my university just for my performance last semester (I got a 3.74 GPA which helped boost my cumulative GPA to 3.27).

Über wrote:..your GPA sucks anyway...

Really Über, are you serious? A 3.27 is a pretty hard GPA to get for my major man to be honest. Geophysics is very very very tough. While I am not the best student in my faculty, I am one of the top for sure.

Meh, a 3.27 isn't really that great man... That's not even an equally distributed mix of A's and B's. You'd be better served just having more fun and trying to get more out of your education and university experience.

And I don't really understand the nature of your other question. You're asking why people are trying hard to do well? Is that not obvious? People want to do well....

If you want to go deeper, most people don't understand until well after they leave college and get in the real world that their grades don't matter. As it is presented to them currently (by the universities, parents, staff, etc) getting a high GPA is like a guaranty for success, so people want to get it.

And from the school's perspective, their profile looks better if a higher percentage of students get higher GPAs, graduate, get jobs, etc ,etc....so they'll give away money to encourage academic excellence. It doesn't mean it's actually worth a damn in the real world, but they're doing the best they can to make it seem that way so the students strive for it, all in an effort to make them look better as an academic institution.

Drew wrote:Meh, a 3.27 isn't really that great man...

Whatever dawg. I am a Geophysics major, that is hard as fuck. That is not the best thing to be telling me man, have some manners.

Take it how you want it. You're basically posting in here for advice. Your basic situation is that you're throwing away your current social life in order to get a high GPA, and you want to know if its worth it. If your shit isn't 3.9-4...you're not the top of the class...and if you're not top of the class, GPA REALLY doesn't matter.

Being top of the class isn't even that important in the long run....but if you're not even there....then cut loose a bit and enjoy yourself. There really isn't much different between a 2.25 and a 3.25.

Drew wrote:There really isn't much different between a 2.25 and a 3.25.

Were you sober when you typed that Drew, lol? I will help you put it in perspective brother. A 2.25 is ~ a C and a 3.25 is ~ a B+. If you really go to school and have done midterms and exams how can you sit here and tell me that a C and a B+ are not much different?

Drew wrote:If your shit isn't 3.9-4...you're not the top of the class

Actually you are wrong there. Anything 3.5 and above is really good. In the Engineering, Medicine, and also most science faculties (which are the hardest by the way), to make the Dean's list, you need a minimum of 3.6. We all know how hard it is to make the Dean's list and how can you say that a 3.9 - 4 is only what is regarded "top of the class?"

Let me make this clear too, it is almost impossible to combine social stuff and enjoyment with academics if you want to do well. You have to sacrifice one for the other, nobody is superman in this world. I know you came in here and said you have a 3.9 or something like that but I find it hard to believe you (no offense) with the way you emphasized how much you still were enjoying yourself socially and how you did "minimal work." Yeah right, nobody is superman (I repeat). Please just say that you studied a lot if you are not lying about that GPA. Do not get me wrong, I am not trying to accuse you wrongly but all I am saying is that you should give credit to your hard work and studying if you do very well instead of trying to make it sound like getting good grades is easy you know? It is just annoying when people do very well and achieved success then try to pass it off like it was a piece of cake. I have lots and lots of friends who have those types of GPAs and from a very large sample pool, you cannot get those types of GPAs without a focused dedication to school work.

....I don't really know what you want me to say? It's sort of sad we're having this argument man.

You can ask anyone who knows me. If you have a facebook, you can message anyone on my friends list and ask them how much time I spend on school. It is honestly less than 2 hours a week. School is just easy as hell for some people man....I don't know why you find it impossible that that is the case. You don't have to be superman to succeed at school. Figure out quickly what the teacher wants, and what you have to do to provide that for them. If you have to study for 15 hours for every test, I'm glad you know that about yourself....but don't just assume that everyone else has to as well.

I'm SURE there are other people in this forum who can co-sign that either they never put in any effort in school and did well, or knew people like me who always did well without putting in the work. The large majority of people I know sort of resent me and the couple of friends I have who are like me who really don't have to try at all to get a 3.9-4 in school.

In reality, it's not even that big of a deal. The fact that you're comparing being able to do well in school without studying or trying to being superman...just shows how badly disillusioned you are about school to begin with. Just because I'm good at school doesn't mean I can fly and I'm invincible or a genius or some shit...it just means I'm good at school.

I'm not personally offended that you think its impossible for me to be good at school...because it appears you genuinely feel it is impossible for ANYONE to be good enough at school to not have to sacrifice social time or enjoyment just to succeed.


After dwelling on your post and what I have already written....it just seems like a lost cause. There apparently is no way for me to convince you I'm not lying about myself...I don't know how to prove it...I could post my grades, but what would that prove...you'd just assume I worked my ass off for them. All I can really try to persuade you on is the fact that I don't really consider it as much of a gift as you do. School isn't that big of a deal in America. It matters much more about your experience and who you know. If you get a degree, that's all that matters in the long run....so again, the whole point of this wasn't for me to like throw it in your face and be annoying, it's just to offer a perspective that you should have fun with your life and stop being a slave to the academic world, there's a lot more out there...and a high majority of it doesn't depend on how you do in school.

Drew wrote:I could post my grades, but what would that prove...you'd just assume I worked my ass off for them.

Yeah, please post them. I would be glad if you could post them. Then I know that I am actually wrong that way. From what I could see, you said you did minimal work and got a 3.9 GPA. In my opinion, I find it hard to believe it is possible to get that kind of GPA without hard work. You even refused to say what you are majoring in. So yeah, post them if you can and if you want to (since I cannot force you).