As a student who has recently finished their second year of college, there are two things I can tell you: college life moves way faster than you could anticipate, and college students allow themselves to become too immersed in their GPA’s. Okay, so maybe these aren’t new pieces of information to you, but perhaps they do allow for a moment of realization that there is such a thing as caring too much about grades.
It’s not a bad thing to be overwhelmed or constantly aware of your GPA. In fact, doing so will probably allow for you to have much more academic success because you are constantly cognizant of where you stand in your classes. However, the danger with familiarizing ourselves too much with this number is that we often associate it with our level of worth or intelligence, when that is the farthest thing from the truth.
So, without further ado, I present to you the 5 things all college students who cling to their GPA should know- the 5 things that your GPA does NOT say about you:
1. Your Work Ethic
While some people may have a difficult time believing that their GPA does not reflect how hard-working they are, I would disagree. You may be the most hard-working person in your class, but for you, organic chemistry might not make as much sense- resulting in lower test scores and a lower GPA. It seems like a tough pill to swallow now, but just think: once you’re in the working world, all that will matter is your diligence of submitting that business memo in on time or staying late for those over-time work calls.
2. Your Hidden Talents
There’s a reason that people have a section at the bottom of their resumes entitled: “Talents/interests”. People want to know about you and what YOU like to do. What are the things that set you apart? Of course, businesses care about how smart you are, but they also want to know that you are a well-rounded individual who partakes in a variety of activities. And chances are, if your interest’s line-up with your potential employers, you already have a great conversation starter for that first interview.
3. Your Communication Skills
It has been my observation that society puts much more weight on a person’s IQ than we do on their EQ, and this is arguably the biggest mistake that we are making. Intelligence and grades may be important, but what is equally- if not more- important is their ability to instigate a conversation with another individual, ask questions, and provide an emotional response that proves to the other person they are listening and that they care. Skills that no GPA can represent.
4. Your Potential Success
Let me be clear: receiving a 4.0 GPA is not code for, “Congratulations! You are going to make millions of dollars and live a very healthy and successful life one day!”. Rather, all that number tells you is that you had the capability of receiving A’s in all your classes- an accomplishment for sure, but not a promise to live a fulfilling life one day. A person’s success is directly attributed to their level of interest in what they are doing, and effort in how they are doing it, and if you are studying something you love, that 3.5/4.0 difference will hardly be apparent.
5. Your Personality
If personalities were portrayed in individual’s GPA’s, I would imagine that the world would be a much different place. There would be no need for face-to-face interviews, because if an employer saw that you had a 3.5 GPA on your resume coupled with “Outstanding personality, grade A worker, you should hire her/him!”, that employer would probably feel very inclined to have you working for them, regardless of that .5 difference from a straight A average (I know, shocking thought, isn’t it?).
For every student out there who works day-in and day-out and hasn’t obtained that 4.0 GPA yet, don’t fret. Keep working and remind yourself that the work ethic and discipline you are learning during your journey to a “perfect” GPA will land you the perfect job someday! And for all the students who have 4.0’s but are driving yourselves insane because you aren’t taking time to do anything you want, give yourself a break! Nobody wants a zombie working for them, and although that 4.0 may bring you happiness, what will bring you even more happiness is living that 4.0 lifestyle, and that is something that no GPA can give you.
