Twentysomething: Why I regret getting straight A’s in college
This is a guest post from Jon Morrow, who is 25 years old. His blog is On Moneymaking.
By Jon Morrow – I nearly killed myself in college to get straight A’s. Well, almost straight A’s. I graduated with 37 A’s and 3 B’s for a GPA of 3.921. At the time, I thought I was hot stuff. Now I wonder if it wasn’t a waste of time. Let me explain:
1. No one has ever asked about my GPA.
I was told that having a high GPA would open all kinds of doors for me. But you know what? I interviewed with lots of companies, received a total of 14 job offers after graduation, and none of the companies asked about it. They were much more impressed with stuff like serving as Chief of Staff for the student government and starting a radio station run by 200 volunteers.
I suppose a college recruiter from a Fortune 500 company might ask, but honestly, I can’t see any employer hiring a straight-A student over someone with five years of relevant work experience. It might tip the scale in a competitive situation, but in most cases, I haven’t seen that grades are really that important to employers.
2. I didn’t sleep.
Unless you’re a super genius, getting 37 A’s is hard work. For me, it was an obsession. Anything less than an A+ on any assignment was unacceptable. I’d study for 60-80 hours a week, and if I didn’t get the highest grade in class, I’d put in 100 hours the next week.
Translation: I didn’t sleep much. From my freshman to junior year, I averaged about six hours a night. By my senior year though, I was only getting 3-5 per night, even on weekends. I was drinking a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew and 2-3 energy drinks per day just to stay awake. Not only is that unhealthy, but it’s not particularly fun either.
3. I’ve forgotten 95% of it.
I majored in English Literature and minored in Communication Theory. The main reason I chose those subjects was I thought they would teach me how to write and speak, two skills that would serve me well for the rest of my life.
Boy, was I stupid. Instead, I spent all my time reading classic literature and memorizing vague, pseudoscientific communication theories. Neither are useful at all, and I’ve forgotten at least 95% of it.
I’d guess the same is true for most college graduates. Tell me, what’s the point of spending 60-80 hours a week learning things that you immediately forget?
4. I didn’t have time for people.
Being in the student government and running a radio station, I had lots of opportunities to build a huge network. But I didn’t have time. Between studying and doing my job, I had to prioritize the people I wanted to develop relationships with and narrow it down to the handful who could help me the most.
That’s no way to go through school. College isn’t so much a training ground for entering the work place as a sandbox for figuring out who you are and how you relate to other people. You develop your social skills and forge relationships with people that might be colleagues for the rest of your life.
If I could do it all over again, I would spend less time in the library and more time at parties. I would have 50 friends, not 3. I would be known for “the guy that knows everyone,” not “the smartest guy in class.” Not only because it would’ve been more fun, but because I would still be friends with most of those people now and would have access to the networks they’ve developed over the last four years.
5. Work experience is more valuable.
In retrospect, I could’ve probably spent 20-30 hours a week on my studies and gotten B’s. That would’ve freed up 30-70 hours a week, depending on the course load. When I think of all of the things that I could’ve done with those hours, I just shake my head.
If there’s one thing graduates lack, it’s relevant work experience. If you want to be a freelance writer, you’re much better off writing articles for magazines and interning with a publishing company than working your tail off to get straight A’s. The experience makes you more valuable to future employers and usually results in a paycheck with a few more digits on it.
What about Graduate School?
If you’re getting your masters, going to law school, or becoming a doctor, then you’ll need all 37 of those A’s to get into the best school possible, and you can safely disregard this entire post. Just be sure that you follow through. I thought I would go to law school, and then I found out what a miserable career it is and how little it actually pays. All of those good grades are now going to waste.
It also comes down to the question, “What’s the most effective use of your time?” If you can’t imagine living without an advanced degree from an Ivy League school, then reading until your eyes fall out and sleeping on a table in the library is a perfectly defensible lifestyle.
On the other hand, if you want to get a job and make as much money as possible, then good grades aren’t going to help you as your teachers and parents might have you believe. You’re better making powerful friends, building a killer resume and generally having the time of your life on your parent’s dime.
Jon Morrow’s blog is On Moneymaking.
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Once you’re done with college, what should you focus on next? It’s clear your grades don’t matter, but what does matter? The most important thing after you graduate college is to treat your 20s like they matter. This is not practice. This is your life. And here: How to Make Your 20s Count.
How often have you noticed it’s the A students working for the B students? More often than not I have found.
All of the time the B students spent learning how to be social and make future connections obviously pays off a few years after the first job interviews.
Perhaps, this is a matter of self selection those will high GPA’s seek out jobs that require/value a high GPA and those with low GPA’s focus on jobs that do not value GPA as much.
Those in the consulting, investment banking, and finance industries usually only recruit the top 10% of the class.
Many federal agencies (Department of State, FBI..etc) highly value high GPA’s.
Snappy, to work for the government, especially the CIA/FBI, you must have at least a 3.0 GPA (B) and not have any criminal record (including sealed minor crimes), don’t do drugs, or have any DUI’s.
This is a great article and I refer back to it often. My sister-in laws kids are now off to college and I’m going to send this article there way. I made a 3.8 as an undergrad and I think thats good enough. I think work is good but you need to relax and enjoy yourself also.
with these grades not going to graduate school of ANY kind has probably been the biggest mistake you will ever make in your entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!
For your shake, i honestly hope this blog is filled with lies, and that you didint spend all that time and effort to get those marks and do nothing with them. I honestly feel pity for you!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have around a 3.4 Cumulative GPA.
I’ve been in College for 4 years and have only gone to three different “College parties.” It isn’t what I wanted to do and has never been a big interest of mine. I’ve also worked five different jobs while attending College and this has been one reason why my GPA isn’t above a 3.5(Not that it really matters that much, honestly).
If you are seriously studying 60-80 per week in a subject that you don’t even enjoy just for the sake of getting high grades(With no intention of Graduate school) then this is just plain stupid.
If graduate schools didn’t care about my GPA then I probably wouldn’t have above a 3.0- A lot of times the GPA doesn’t even correlate to what I have learned in the course; but more so towards how I can slave towards what a certain Professor is looking for.
I will say that I could probably still get into graduate school with a little lower GPA and obsessing over marks on a paper is no way to life your live. I’m an Economics major by the way.
Great post! And great blog. I love reading about college experiences, past a present. There is a lot to be missed and a lot of choices to wonder about. Keep the posts coming!
Here's a recent article I particularly enjoyed on college experiences: http://burisonthecouch.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/ten-things-we-miss-about-college/
– Mike
I bet this guy is white.
White people ask me all the time about my
GPA.
Hi Jon,
I’m a college student who is a little confused by your post (though it is very interesting!)
Regarding other objections, it’s not enough to say that getting A’s in school is possible ‘despite’ having a wholesome lifestyle. Actually, I believe that doing your best in school is necessary if you want to have a truly wholesome/fulfilling life.
What I mean is that if you spend your time wisely, if you are inquisitive, if you explore ideas thoroughly (all characteristics of someone who lives a wholesome lifestyle), then you should be able to get great grades.
Of course: making good relationships, enjoying yourself.. those are also characteristics of someone who leads a wholesome lifestyle, but why should that second batch of characteristics be mutually exclusive from the first?
Hi Jon,
I’m a college student who is a little confused by your post (though it is very interesting!)
Regarding other objections, it’s not enough to say that getting A’s in school is possible ‘despite’ having a wholesome lifestyle. Actually, I believe that doing your best in school is necessary if you want to have a truly wholesome/fulfilling life.
What I mean is that if you spend your time wisely, if you are inquisitive, if you explore ideas thoroughly (all characteristics of someone who lives a wholesome lifestyle), then you should be able to get great grades.
Of course: making good relationships, enjoying yourself.. those are also characteristics of someone who leads a wholesome lifestyle, but why should that second batch of characteristics be somewhat mutually exclusive from the first?
It’s probably good to mention that unless you are going to something like med school, straight A’s don’t matter. I’ve noticed this real world GPA issue before. Never once was I asked about a GPA in my web development job, or my RNA research job. It was also disconcerting that nothing I had learned in school applied to the work I did.
However the A’s I am getting now and the 3.75 GPA I want is great for med school.
I knew someone with a lot of B’s who went to grad school and is doing very well for herself. Good grades aren’t everything, I agree.
Good grades are important. People are screened by their grades. You cannot get an interview at some places without a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Depending on your school and major even that feat is not easy.
Without at least a 3.0 GPA it is difficult to get internships that give you that valuable work experience and connections within the professional world. This is especially important when you don’t have connections of your own and rely on someone else to hire you.
A low GPA can cost a person thousands of dollars due to the effort required to build their value in the eyes of others and the lost opportunities due to screening.
I feel the issue with your story is time management and work-life balance. It’s a problem that most people don’t want to address because of the Puritan work ethic that is so ingrained in our society. Any indication that a person wants to enjoy life is seen as laziness because our society is so competitive.
Being a lawyer is not easy. Most don’t make a lot of money. It’s hard to find jobs. However, the profession can be good if you can pursue your passion in a supportive environment. It’s just like any other job in that regard. The law is not truly for people looking to make a lot of money but there are some “successful” attorneys like that.
Lastly, I agree with learning for the sake of learning. I did that throughout college and law school. I didn’t have the pre-college background to coast through college or law school on raw talent. I had to work hard for my mostly C’s and B’s with the occasional A’s when I got to study what interested me. I studied what I wanted and it hurt my GPA. I still get screened out of some jobs to this day. I value my experience from those days but I still wish those grades were better.
Connections help but you cannot exploit them without the proper credentials and sometimes that credential is a high GPA. There are no easy roads. But you’re right, GPA is only one small part of the equation.
While I agree with a lot of what you say, I’d like to put in my 2 cents.
Yes, you forget 95% of everything, but I don’t think that the purpose of getting straight A’s is to remember stuff. I don’t regret forgetting stuff since I will never use it again. Getting straight A’s is to exercise your motivation and determination skills, NOT necessarily remember the material.
I’ve gotten all A’s in 2009 in college and I do NOT regret it. I am only doing it because I am in community college, and the school I want to transfer to requires at least a 3.2gpa for my major. I still have 14 classes I have to take in community college. I can now relax in 2010 and not have to worry about getting A’s so much. As long as I average B’s, I will be able to transfer to my school =D.
I had brilliant results in high school, great enough results in college and then went on to a degree. When I came out to work, I wondered why I ever bothered to study in the first place because it did nothing to help with my career. And the reason was, for all the studying, I had no idea what I wanted to work as, even when I was looking for my first job. In my opinion, good grades without a goal sucks. Teachers should make more effort to help students find their career path. My parents weren’t much help because of money, they had to take whatever job opportunities that came their way. For them, as long as you work for a good company, with good salary, that would do, but for me, I wanted job satisfaction and had no idea what I wanted to do.
Okay…there seems to generally be two camps here…
The first camp of posters believe that grades are one of the most important things that anyone could ever achieve. Most of these posters generally disagree with the OP.
The second camp of posters believe GPA isn’t as important than making contacts and gaining experience.
I went to Stony Brook University. The school is ranked top 1 percent of all colleges and the average GPA is a 2.5. Subsequently, I got a 3.86 as a history major. I used to think that your GPA was everything (hey, your parents and teacher always said so.)
All of the jobs I got were through people I know. I never received a job based on either my GPA or transcript. Yes, I put my GPA on my resume, but I highly doubt they would have requested my transcipt because I was really involved in the community. Grades “helped”, but the job offer I received after college (work at Barclay’s Investment Bank–employer I knew never asked me my grades, but he knew me and he knew I was smart.)
The point is grades are very important in two scenarios: 1) If you want to advance your education and 2) If you are a student sending out your resume to employers you don’t know and have minimal work experience (i.e. you worked at McDonalds, a store on minimum wage salary, etc.) If you have a pretty strong network though and have a good personality, then you will get a job. We’re never taught this because, let’s face it, we’d like to think people got high paying jobs because of the work ethic they have. This may or may not be the case. It may have more to do with the person’s personality, their ambition, luck and who they know, which really has nothing to do with academic performance.
The one thing good grades did do for me was get me into a good law school. I’m a 1L and currently have a summer job for a law firm (through contacts) and the employer never asked for my transcript or asked to see my grades. I’m saying this to show that networking is important too. Overall, I do agree with the OP on this. I think many of the points he addressed were spot on.
I also forgot to mention that some extremely smart students end up teaching. And if you want to be a professor, grades can be important down the line. But I can’t tell you how many people I know who became very successful who went to nationally unrecognizeable college (or only graduated from High School.)
And yes, Bush was a C student in college. So was John Kerry. Did Reagan attend college? Obama was a top student, but Biden was not (bottom of the class in both Syracuse and Syracuse Law School.)
Overall, I have to say, who cares.
You’ve completely missed the point.
The two camps were these:
1) Grades are important if you’re a science major. Which they are.
2) Grades aren’t important if you’re a liberal arts major. Which they aren’t.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious. I stopped reading as soon as you said you majored in history. There is no reason to achieve a 3.86 GPA in history unless you want to get into grad school or pursue an academic career.
For those of us studying engineering and science, grades are extremely important. No one is going to hire an engineering major who doesn’t know how to engineer.
Well, you are all so misinformed. I am pursuing a bachelor in Psychology and I plan to apply for the graduate program in Clinical Psychology. I believe every major has its difficulties. Some people think that getting a degree in Psychology may be a waste of time. It seems like many of you are studying for the money and that will take you nowhere. What about pursuing your pasion? I have a 4.00 GPA and I am working hard. I will never regret it. Psychology is my passion. I go to class excited to learn new things. It does not matter what your major is, it matters how much passion you feel, how motivated you are, and how much you are learning. If you are forgetting everything is probably because you are not very passionate about the subject. Please do not demeanor any discipline, it makes you look childish, immature, and not very smart.
“You're better making powerful friends, building a killer résumé, and generally having the time of your life on your parent's dime.”
With mixed feelings, I sent this post to my daughter this morning. Achievement, perspective, excellence, fullness, choices, freedom, responsibility, love, life. It’s a lot for the young to master during their first venture away from home.
What you learnt from working 70 hours a week doing something boring and pointless was how to work 70 hours a week doing something boring nd pointless surely? And your ability to work so hard is clearly what’s made you successful today.
I often feel a bit bitter about my college experience because I spent more time working than patying. It definately wasnt the the ‘time of my life’ that everyone said it would be. But it toughened me up and forced me to grow up a whole lot faster than my peers.
Great post!Like you, I learned the hard way too. You indicated that peopledevelop your social skills and forge relationships with people that might be colleagues for the rest of their lives. Seriously? That is so very true. I have no one from college who I’m in touch with because I didn’t take the time or effort to cultivate any lasting relationships while I was there. Some of them remember me enough that we are Facebook friends, but I see these people are actually ingrained in each other’s lives, while I’m watching from the sidelines. The same goes for highschool. I have virtually no memory of what happend and who was who because my nose was buried in the books. It seemed noble at the time, and the right thing to do; and I’m not discounting the virtue of paying attention in class and doing your best, but it’s important to find that balance. And more importantly, I got no further ahead than anyone else. I’m not sure I gained anything by making that sacrifice.
I received D’s all the way through high school. I barely graduated. I didn’t go immediatly to college either. Instead, I gained a job in the food service industry, then using that I gained another, and after some time I was working 80-100 hours a week as an opening manager and a closing manager. All my friends went off to “college” and other nice programs. They know how to study, I know how to work, organize, run a business, and handle any personal engagements you throw at me. They may be able to throw nicer words on the paper, that’s nice, but I’ll still get the job.
As of now, the majority of them are either 1) still in college broke 2) dropped out 3 at a university and on-track to making over 6 figures and being happy in a profession they may love. For me? I work for Pepsi now and make more money than almost all of my friends. I live very comfortably, I love my job. I don’t plan on ever going to college unless I save the proper funds to make it enjoyable.
You’ve just got a chip on your shoulder because you couldn’t get into college. Now you want to rub your supposed success in everyone’s face, but the fact remains, for 90% of people, getting a college degree makes you much more valuable to employers. Sorry, but it’s just a fact.
The only route you could’ve taken to make good money is the one you took–starting your own business–because no other business is going to hire some schmuck who couldn’t even be bothered to get C’s in high school. My bet is that you had some connections who helped you out, too. I mean seriously? Mostly D’s in high school?
Ten bucks says that the vast majority of your peers who put a similar lack of effort into school are either enlisted in the military, in prison, or working retail.
A low GPA has been the one thing I have struggled with throughout my college career. I started out thinking i wanted to be a doctor (like my dad) so i started as a bio major. the workload was unbelievable and i should have done something about it before getting a 2.5 and 2.7 the first year.
What made studying more difficult was that my parents were still going through a 3 year long divorce (i had to watch my dad become financially ruined thanks to my mom) and it was so demoralizing watching someone who worked hard for 20 years and have it all get thrown down the drain. i switched to an economics major and couldn’t believe the world of difference as far as workload. i could then spend more time socializing and building valuable relationships. i’d have to agree, GPA isn’t as important as one would think. i learned web development and built my own website and was able to put it on my resume. THIS is what landed me 2 internships after sophomore and junior years. I’m about to enter my senior year and my one goal is to solidify many of the relationships I started. my one piece of advice when it comes to college- if an opportunity presents itself, jump on it. you’ll only regret the things you don’t do.
you did what? study for 60-80 hours a week? I’m working full time ( 40 – 50 hours a week ) I go to school ( fully accredited university ) full time ( 3 – 4 classes every semester ) and after 56 credits my GPA is still 4.0. Oooo, by the way…English is my third language, I have family and kids to take care of and pretty good social life. I study no more than 5 hours a week. 4.0 GPA is nothing to brag about and believe me…in comparison with the rest of the world , college is too easy in the US. e.g. something like multiple questions tests do not exist overseas… good luck!
Grades do matter but only for hard science majors like engineering, math, or computer science. If you apply for an engineering job out of college they will ask for your GPA.
For an English major, getting A’s is kinda of a novelty.
I, too, regret going on the four-point-ohhh quest. It just wasn’t worth the effort. If anything, grad schools/employers see it and think, “WTF, doesn’t this guy have any life…” For that reason, a 3.9 might be better than a 4.0 anyway, even if they were the same exact amount of work… I wrote my own article on getting straight A’s: http://www.xamuel.com/straight-a/
There are many things about college that I do regret, and not getting the best grades is one of them. But in all honesty, that was only when I thought I wanted to go to grad school – maybe it is a bit of “the grass is greener on the other side” thinking? In that spare time I spent not getting straight As, I had some great jobs and taught myself how to make things for the web. And then I graduated, didn’t use my degree, and ended up going into web stuff. So maybe I really should start seeing that choice to be a not-so-great student as a wise one … :-)
Terrific! I’m glad I came across this 3 years after it was written – most people fail to grasp this concept. In fact, looking at some of these comments, most people still don’t. I am sorry you had to read all of them. In fact, the more comments I read, the more I hate mankind …
After reading this article, I have to say it really depends on the major. On one hand, for programming jobs, and most technology jobs in general, no one cares what your gpa is. It’s mostly experience more than anything, and the will to learn new techniques. If you contributed significantly to an open source project, or even better, if you took on an internship like I did, then companies will look at that and see that you have experience in the field. If you take the time to actually teach yourself new skills like learn a new coding language, then companies will like that even more, and realize that you have the initiative to better yourself and the company.
If it’s something worthless like a liberal arts degree, then I’m not surprised you’re complaining about how no one cares about your gpa or you don’t remember anything you learned in school. Heck, I bet they don’t really care about your degree beyond the fact that you actually have one!
I majored in Computer Science. Not only that but I was passionate about it. Since the age of 12 I knew that whatever I did it would heavily involve computers. I took it upon myself from high school to actually research the market, discover the courses I would need in college, and what the most popular languages for coding in were.
I think that’s the problem with most students, they don’t have any passion! They spend a lot of money on a college education, just thinking that it’s a way of ensuring they get a boring old desk job, not realizing that they’ll be doing this for most of their life. Students need to find something they love and be passionate about and pursue that for the rest of their life, not just worry how much money they’ll make. Although I do admit money is important, is it more important than doing something you enjoy?
I like the general flow of your comment but mind you if I add one more component to it. It is a balance act between how much you like it vs. how much you put effort into it. Regardless of which subject you teach yourself and you get lectured on, it will always depend on the relative amount of comprehension and knowledge that you have on that subject. So even if you are scared of the idea of studying Computer Science for example, only until you challenge yourself to have the good understanding of the material, you’ll be able to appreciate that particular mind set or that way of thinking. Don’t expect to see fast results in whatever you study and don’t get fooled by first impression of that particular field either. It is sometimes way more rewarding and educationally fulfilling to you if you try yourself in the field that you have least knowledge or certainty of. Of course, then everyone has their lifestyle, and they should pursue in whichever way they please to do so.
College fucking sucks just work and try to get in the x-games I tried getting straight a’s but found out that studying that much made me depressed and sad I love people so I hang out with people who do extreme sports because studying sucks wastes your life.
This woman seemingly had atrocious study habits. There are people out there who go through college and remember everything they learn. In addition, these people can regularly apply it; these are the people who make the world move forward. This chick ain’t one of ’em.
I think many people have made the world move forward that haven’t even gotten a college education. To say that this woman won’t make the world move forward… who are you to judge?
I think many people have made the world move forward that haven’t even gotten a college education. To say that this woman won’t make the world move forward… who are you to judge?
I think many people have made the world move forward that haven’t even gotten a college education. To say that this woman won’t make the world move forward… who are you to judge?
Hey, maybe you could have chosen a different major and a lot of times hands on experience does mean more than grades. But it certainly tells people a lot about your character,work ethic and all out determination to succeed.
I really agree with what’s been said about money. Life isn’t about money or working, it’s about the relationships you have and the things that bring you joy.
I get that money can help you be able to live the life style you want. But at the end of the day when you think about it, does living cushly ever shape you or change you? Isn’t it our struggles that make us appreciate what we do have and that make us work harder to be the kind of people we want to be. You are right, school doesn’t educate us, life does and if life is always easy what is it going to teach us? I don’t even know the answer to that question but it makes me wonder…
As for goofing off vs. working your ass off, it’s a constant attempt at balancing right? Too much of either is not good, just like how too much of anything can cause cancer these days.
True they didn’t ask you up front about your GPA, but did you put your GPA on our resume? Because if I were hiring, and a student had a 3.9 GPA, I wouldn’t ask him. The number speaks for itself. I would only ask him if I had many others with high averages and didn’t have his average. GPA is still the most important factor in hiring, the other stuff comes in to value when weighing academically similar candidates for a position.
No offense, but I cannot imagine how an English major would need up to 100 hours a week of studying to maintain a 4.0. I am currently a sophomore in college with a 4.0 and even during finals week I’ve never clocked in 100 hours. I can see why you might regret that sort of college experience, that must have been hell. Everyone just needs balance, and it’s not as difficult as you make it seem for most people to balance good grades and a social life.
I hate to pick on majors, but I have to roll my eyes. You must be extremely inefficient with your time. I can guarantee you the other people in your classes who got As spent about half the time studying.
Where’s the dislike button?
Where’s the dislike button?
Where’s the dislike button?
It REALLY depends on the school you’re attending.
Speaking as a former English major, it depends mostly on your school and how fast you can read.
There’s a reason I’m a “former” English major… I had to spend hours and hours a day just to keep up with the reading in my classes, and that doesn’t count writing papers and participating in the blogs we were required to keep. It was a ridiculous amount of work.
Those who think English is an easy major don’t have a clue. I’m a computer science major now, with a 3.7 GPA, and I find it EASIER than English in many ways.
PS… don’t comment on how “hard” a major is or isn’t when you’re a sophomore. You have no idea what your major is really like until you’re finished with gen eds and only have your major courses left to take.
we get it – you think ur smart. By the way, did you mean write Ess or Ass?
My Sophomore year of college was just as much a joke as my freshman year. 2 years ago I too could have strutted my stuff on a blog such as this and claimed, as a freshman/sophomore, things were easy. After all, those required university core credits (US History, College Algebra, etc) are incredibly hard when there’s parties to be had and drunken pranks to be played. Grades and studying don’t mean anything if you’re just doing it to be prideful.
I feel soooo sorry for you. Take some time off backpack Europe and find some balance.
I feel soooo sorry for you. Take some time off backpack Europe and find some balance.
I feel soooo sorry for you. Take some time off backpack Europe and find some balance.
I feel soooo sorry for you. Take some time off backpack Europe and find some balance.
I feel soooo sorry for you. Take some time off backpack Europe and find some balance.
I feel soooo sorry for you. Take some time off backpack Europe and find some balance.
I drank 5 or 6 nights a week, had a 2.12 as a HISTORY major, and now I make 150k a year working for a software company. Have fun in college, be ready to work your ass of when you leave.
I drank 5 or 6 nights a week, had a 2.12 as a HISTORY major, and now I make 150k a year working for a software company. Have fun in college, be ready to work your ass of when you leave.
In other words, you wasted four years of college to get a job that had nothing to do with your degree. Congratulations.
How did you get that job?
Seriously, how? I majored in Bio but I’d like to switch to CS, but can barely get an INTERVIEW for entry level positions, and I have a clean record and a good GPA.
“I majored in English Literature and minored in Communication Theory.”
I think that summed up the post. If you major in this, then yes, your grades won’t matter much, nor is whatever you’re learning important.
If you’re in engineering, math or science, then yes, what you learn is actually useful and grades do matter.
The key caveat you’re missing is that you go on to pursue a career in the field. So many young college kids have such a warped sense of what’s what to have any clue what they want to pursue as a career at age 18. Even for engineering majors I think grades are incredibly overstressed.
I also got straight A’s in college, 3.98 avg. It bought me club presidencies, and opened several doors for me at Uni. My friends were all women and brains, too. We studied together, talking, laughing, enjoying hilarious study sessions that guaranteed each of us got high marks on tests because we actually remembered the stuff.
I still remember most of it today and have parlayed it into several different careers, each with a different twist on the core body of info. It’s been good. Really good.
Your problem was that you didn’t know what the hell you wanted out of life, and it sounds like you still don’t…
Your problem was that you didn’t know what the hell you wanted out of life, and it sounds like you still don’t…
Whoa. Talk about a failing society where people go to school and then do 80-hour weeks… not to learn or improve themselves just to learn or improve themselves, but to find a way to parlay that into a job that pays well.
Whatever happened to living a good life, having fun along the way, making connections with people and eventually passing on knowing it was a good run and that you leave behind people who’ll miss you and speak well of you?
Lawyers are massive parasites on society but hey if that’s what you really really want to do, then do it, but if you’re just going to do it for the money then a) you’re a moron and b) see A.
The same goes for everything. Do something because you love doing it or go find something that you love and do that. Pretty soon on even a human time scale you’re going to die, so try to do the best you have with the time you have instead of suffering doing some bullshit job you hate just because it brings in some money.
Even in todays warped money-based society we have to find ways of living as well as possible; it’s not nearly as well as we could all live if we did things in more sane ways, did away with money as a concept entirely and automated all the scut work so people could focus on the “living well” part, but going to school to learn stuff you don’t care for so you can get a job you don’t care about is probably about as foolish as it gets.
I went to a university that didn’t give grades. That’s one of the reasons that I chose this college–eliminate most of the “paper chase” mentality. Yes, the university had flexible majors, allowed independent studies, and encouraged alternative education opportunities during interterms–all of which I took advantage of–but I loved that I could concentrate on learning for learning’s sake.
I went to a university that didn’t give grades. That’s one of the reasons that I chose this college–eliminate most of the “paper chase” mentality. Yes, the university had flexible majors, allowed independent studies, and encouraged alternative education opportunities during interterms–all of which I took advantage of–but I loved that I could concentrate on learning for learning’s sake.
so true. i could’ve gotten straight As in college, but i got lucky and somehow realized, albeit intuitively, that it wasn’t worth it in the long run. the best education i got in college was outside the confines of the classroom. other than that college was a complete waste of time, money, and energy. i think i’ve forgotten 99% of what i was “taught”.
jon, would you be interested in being interviewed for my documentary ‘The Elephant on Campus’? it’s about the pitfalls of higher education and what can be done to fix this broken system.
http://www.elephantoncampus.com
Your story is kind of my story! I also studied communications (in spanish) and nobody has ever asked for my grades. Haha….It seems to be a worldwide agreement