Many people may think GPA is largely important because it defines so much in a college setting. It can also affect you after college when following your career path. During college, some programs have a set GPA you need to come into them, and other programs' courses' content makes it hard to maintain a high GPA. This clearly represents how great an impact a GPA can have, and how important it truly is.
GPA may be quite important, but it does not define the hardships you faced. It is a set number that our colleges allow to define us and our futures. I am positive no one is going to complain if they receive an A as a course final grade. It is once you start to receive B's and C's that things become complicated. One semester can bring your GPA so low, and you have to work so hard to get it back up. Not that you would not generally put that effort in anyway, but even if you are that straight-A student, life still happens.
GPA stands for so much, but that number does not represent your struggles, the good experiences and the difficulties you faced during that semester or throughout your college career. At the end of each semester or graduation, there are multiple friends I see proudly posting on Facebook they received as a 4.0. As proud as I can understand they feel, I also couldn't care less. As harsh as that sounds, it is true. I fail to care because as much work as someone has to put in to receive a 4.0, someone else can put as much effort in and get a 2.4. I know this because I have been in both situations.
A semester before, I had received an awful GPA, and even withdrew from a few classes, and I think gained a Y on my transcript which basically means I stopped going to class. I think it was less than a 1.0. Life was falling apart, and school was not the main priority, and that was OK. Sometimes things in life are more important than a class, a grade, a number. The truth is if I could go back, I would not change a thing. I felt, during this time, disappointed in myself. I practically failed out of college, and a path that led toward this idea of success was falling apart.
As I recall receiving a 4.0 while taking six classes and 19 credits, I also recall losing my amazing grandmother. I recall losing a four-year relationship, and I still to this day have no idea how I pulled that off. I felt proud, but I did not care too much. It was just a 4.0, and I was not going to boast on Facebook. The pain during this time was so unrecognizable by that number.
I then was graduating with my two-year degree and heading toward a four-year school. At that point I felt great, committing to the goals that the tiny value of a number once made me feel were unachievable. Through these experiences, I learned failure is OK. You will fail, and you will get a bad grade. Though, to let that define you and your future is not realistic. By failing, we represent that we are only human. Mistakes happen, even if we are not the ones making them, and the best thing to do is learn from them.
Society can teach us that a number can define so much, though I won't let that deter me from my ambitions. Whether a class is hard or easy, as long as you give everything your all for what you are going through, you tried. Whether that means you just went to class, or you stopped going to class because life became too tough. At the end of the day, you gave everything you could, and that is all that will ever matter.
It is impossible to compare GPAs. We all learn differently, we face different battles and we live different lifestyles. Let your actions define you over any number.
