We go to college and come out with the truth alma maters and professors want us to believe. GPAs are necessary in order to climb the big scary thing known as the career ladder. As far as I see, your GPA doesn’t really matter. Hey, don’t kill the messenger, but as someone who went through the ritual of education, I get that higher ed life is what you make of it. Study hard to live large later and win the game of successful young yuppie. Professors and students with the mentality that the curriculum vitae begins in school will surely want to kill me, but on some level there is a truth to what I'm saying.
In all the jobs I ever applied to going as far back as high school, no one has ever questioned, “What’s your GPA?” People may argue with me that most of my jobs at the time were entry-level positions with minimum wage, and GPA doesn't count when serving someone drinks. I'll raise my hands up and not even counter, because it's the truth. But as I applied for other tiers after honing skills and experience, no one dared ask the unmentionable. This number wasn't significant.
I believe people care more about you as an asset in terms of what can be done now versus a few practice communication projects at the end of midterms or a paper full of erudite nonsense. People care about relativity. Are you going to fulfill the job description without messing up? Eventually, it’s also about whom you know and the network also known as your worth. Think about it like this — the more people you bump elbows with leads to higher chances of connections with potential job offers and crossing of paths, for everyone looking to move across the work divide.
This isn’t about dissuading anyone focused on academic pursuits. It’s about the insignificant element known as the grade point average. Don't fail deliberately to stick it to the system. Pace yourself and plan accordingly to come out with stellar grades. If the chips don't fall into place, then don't beat yourself up about it. Life happens and dealing with what to do when there's a block in the road is a honorable task. Pick yourself up and go even when things change dramatically, and it feels like the end of the world.
If you're still in school, take time to dive in the community at school. Be a well-rounded person who volunteered at a non-profit organization and traveled abroad to Italy for a semester of cultural immersion. Be the go-getter who applied for an internship during the summer, but also was capable enough to work at a steady job. Be the fun and not overly-stressed undergraduate who had time to hang out with friends at the bar, but who could also be a social butterfly in a completely different organization.
Think of college a place to learn and prepare for the real world, but also as a pivoting point to create the most amazing version of yourself to the best of your abilities. Just remember that a low grade isn’t the end of the world. You matter more than a number.
