Being a college student has its perks, but it also has its stressors. One stressor is the pressure to get perfect grades and have a stellar GPA.
Whether you're a 4.0 student, or a 3.3 student like me, here are 7 things our GPAs definitely do not measure:
1. Intelligence
Most of the time, your test grades are based on memorization. How many times have you memorized information for a test, and then forgotten it almost immediately after? Maybe your GPA measures how well you memorize, but it definitely doesn't define how smart you are.
2. People skills
GPA: Grade Point Average, not Great Person Average. Your GPA doesn't define how well you communicate, understand, or treat other people. These skills mean a great deal in the real world, and can definitely not be measured by your GPA.
3. Your effort
How many times have you put in countless hours of effort, and still ended up with a grade other than an A? Your grades do not always reflect your effort; therefore, your GPA definitely does not.
4. Your ability
Think about it. Your GPA is built from every single letter grade you have received in college. If you ever had a bad semester, or didn't do as well when you were a freshman because you were just learning the ropes of college life, your GPA definitely isn't going to be an accurate measure of your ability. You are not a letter grade, and neither are your skills.
5. Your performance
Most college classes have attendance or participation grades. Please tell me how a non-academic grade reflects your performance... If you get a 100% on attendance and participation, but have "C's" on all of the tests and assignments, how does your final grade really reflect your actual performance? This is another thing that your GPA cannot truly measure.
6. Your knowledge
Did you do exactly what you were supposed to do? Was your presentation exactly 3.5 minutes long? Was your paper exactly 1200 words? These things do not measure knowledge at all, but rather your ability to follow directions. Unfortunately, these things are factored into your grades, and therefore, your GPA, which isn't an accurate measure of your knowledge.
7. Your future
Your GPA is not the only factor involved in whether or not you get a job. In fact, your experience matters way more. Someone with a 4.0 GPA and no experience is less likely to get a job than an applicant with a 3.4 GPA and tons of experience/involvement.
