Does GPA matter?

[The David]

This has concerned me lately. I maintained a 3.0 or above until last semester. Then I failed two classes. I'm retaking one of them now, but now I'm failing another one.

My former method of getting good grades was to completely freak out at the last minute before an assignment was due, and then channel that adrenaline into the assignment. I learned to fake it, but I didn't really learn anything of value. I'm in my fifth semester of college and I don't even know how to write a paper anymore.

Why the sudden change? I don't want to fake it anymore. I know what I want out of life, I want to learn and have experiences, and I want to teach (ironic for a C student, I know). I'm tired of the competition. It seems that the more I try to learn, the worse my grades get.

Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to retake some classes and see if I can get a 3.0 or close. But there is too much to learn, too little time, and too few people to learn it from. Lately I've just been here buying time and teaching myself most things.

Advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

[funchy]

If your true passion is teaching, then I'd say mastering the material you're given to learn is ESSENTIAL.

I can also tell you with the No Child Left Behind federal program, public schools now have new standards for teachers (if you planned to teach in the US). A C or D may not be good enough for the guidelines, even if you can get an employer to look beyond a low GPA.

Instead of looking for reasons to rationalize a poor GPA, can we focus on ways to help your GPA?

For example, what do you mean by "competition"?

Why do you feel you don't have time to study? Are you having personal problems or a work schedule conflict? Can you drop one class in an effort to get an A or B in the other classes?

What are you having the biggest problem with? Specific subjects? Time management? Lack of interest in learning in general? Or ???

I do feel your pain. I'm back in college for a new career myself. It's like trying to memorize sections of a dictionary sometimes.... blah. but it can be done. Don't do it half-assed and have bad grades haunt you for years to come.

[The David]

Originally Posted by funchy

For example, what do you mean by "competition"?

By competition, I'm referring to situations where I take a core class and am expected to know how to do something before being told how to do it. I'm referring to teachers who ramble but don't give information. I'm talking about any class that gets in the way of learning the subject.

Why do you feel you don't have time to study?

I have plenty of time to study. Managing the time is a small problem. Reading comprehension is a small problem. Knowing what I'm supposed to be studying, as well as learning the material and not just regurgitating it on a test, is another small problem. These small problems add up.

Are you having personal problems or a work schedule conflict?

Can you drop one class in an effort to get an A or B in the other classes?

I'm not taking much right now. It isn't just this semester I'm concerned about, it's the fact that I've been in college for five semesters and have hardly learned anything of real value.

Don't do it half-assed and have bad grades haunt you for years to come.

I appreciate your time but it doesn't sound like you've read my post at all.

[Inthon]

GPA counts, but like anything else, you can play it up or play it down.

Focus on getting value out of the class and then demonstrating that value to your potential employer. They'd rather you be passionate and knowledgeable with a weak GPA than the other way around.

[rawxstasy]

I'm in my fifth semester of college and I don't even know how to write a paper anymore.

As far as I know, most colleges have a Writing Center where you can get help for free.

My former method of getting good grades was to completely freak out at the last minute before an assignment was due

Give yourself more time to get things done. Do a little bit everyday, then you don't fall behind schedule. Usually the instructor lets the class know at the start of the semester what essays are due.

If you are failing one class already and don't think you can make it up, maybe just drop that one and concentrate on the others as the previous poster suggested.

By competition, I'm referring to situations where I take a core class and am expected to know how to do something before being told how to do it.

Maybe your situation is different, but in my case, I found that most of my classes build on information from the previous semester. If there is something you don't understand or know how to do, why don't you see the instructor and get help? Most instructors are willing to help.

It isn't just this semester I'm concerned about, it's the fact that I've been in college for five semesters and have hardly learned anything of real value.

So I take it this is your 2nd or 3rd year of college? Things didn't start to gel for me unil my 3rd or 4th year. Now I see how all my previous classes have helped me get where I am today. Not just because I had to take the class but now I see how I needed the information for what I'm doing now. That's probably why colleges have you take "core" classes before you actually start taking classes that have more to do with your degree.

Hope that helps!

[Zem]

My experience has been rather different, I had a 4.0 GPA in college, but I would much much rather have realized that the subject I was pursuing was not a passion for me, instead of just powering through the way I did.

I really like what you said about not wanting to fake it... essentially that's what I did, and I don't think it benefited me in any deep way, regardless of the grades.

[RT Wolf]

You may be interested in reading Study Hacks:

Study Hacks

His book, How to Become a Straight-A Student did something I didn't really expect, it clarified the step-by-step process of doing a lot of things. I figured that I used to procrastinate cause they were never really clarified in my mind, so it was like figuring it out the first time every time. The book has a focus on the techniques used by real striaght A students who don't spend a lot of time on studying. Hate hte grind.

In terms of finding courses that teach you things, that's one of my core goals with uni is to learn to learn new and interesting things, so I found a major from reading about it in my spare time (psychology), then I used ratemyprof.com and my school's anti-calendar to find the best profs in terms of ratings. I'll also ask students about which profs changed their thinking or their lives (I've got two of them right now). I also read a book called What Great College Professors Do or something, which helped me get some good metrics to judge a professor for. I'll also sit in on a class once or twice to judge how good a prof is.

That and not all your schooling has to happen in classes: join a club or two if you haven't already, learn to dance or fence. It can be lots of fun.

[magi13]

Originally Posted by The David

This has concerned me lately. I maintained a 3.0 or above until last semester. Then I failed two classes. I'm retaking one of them now, but now I'm failing another one.

My former method of getting good grades was to completely freak out at the last minute before an assignment was due, and then channel that adrenaline into the assignment. I learned to fake it, but I didn't really learn anything of value. I'm in my fifth semester of college and I don't even know how to write a paper anymore.

Why the sudden change? I don't want to fake it anymore. I know what I want out of life, I want to learn and have experiences, and I want to teach (ironic for a C student, I know). I'm tired of the competition. It seems that the more I try to learn, the worse my grades get.

Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to retake some classes and see if I can get a 3.0 or close. But there is too much to learn, too little time, and too few people to learn it from. Lately I've just been here buying time and teaching myself most things.

Advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

GPA matters in the technical field as well as a basis for the companies to base your capacity and measure your capabilities.

[The David]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

You may be interested in reading Study Hacks

Very resourceful. Just what I was looking for, actually. It's got a pretty big blogroll, too.

[funchy]

Let me preface this by saying:
I am lazy and probably not above average intelligence. I also like to do things besides study. Downtime & social life are important. However, that being said, I've maintained a 3.95+ GPA since returning to college as an adult. I swear I must have ADD and I can be easily distracted, and I am poor so I cannot afford a tutor ... but if I can do it, so can you.

The first thing is the right mindset. I start a semester with the mindset I am not only going to pass the class but get an A. I tell myself : I will get an A and anything less isn't going to do. You can do it, too! If only one person get an A in the tough class, why can't that person be you?

I also have the outlook it's not the teacher's job to "make" me learn. It's not the school or curriculum's job to make me "know" the material. These things facilitate my learning, but it's up to *me* to learn and understand.

Studying & preparing for exam:

What I do is I learn and memorize first so I have the keywords and concepts. I take good notes in class. Then I go home and write a new set of notes from the textbook. If it's alot of material, I will recopy the notes. Sometimes the act of writing and re-writing helps me commit the words to memory. That is one task.

Then, as a separate task, I'll read carefully any applied problems, scenarios, etc in the book. I look for places that I'm unsure of, and I go re-read that concept. Then I do all the exercises at the end of the chapter. Make a note of anything you're stuck on, and try to figure it out or email or visit the professor.

I'll also start a list of words I'm having problems remembering or spelling to come back to later. Try visualization exercises to help difficult to learn things stick.

Then I go online and do exercises. Many college textbooks have online pages now. I'll also look for class notes from other colleges on the same topics, and I'll try to do their example problems. Bookmark related web pages for later review. Make and use flashcards, either paper or one of the free online applications. So even in my statistics class, I have all the Stats terms put into flashcard format. I can't risk getting a whole question wrong because I got my "N" and "n" mixed up.

This whole process might be done a little each night over the course of a week if it's a challenging chapter.

I make lists of what I need to know. For example, this week in Anatomy I had sets of words and concepts to commit to memory, so I itemized this list. I had to include: 12 organ system (+ 2 examples), 4 tissue types (+examples and function) + subtypes of each tissue type (such as 8 epithelial types + ex + fns), 20 directional terms, 3 examples of feedback in detail, label organs & their systems, and all the keywords in the first two chapters. So I took a sheet of paper and made this overview list with number of each thing. It said "Organ Systems: 1. ___ 2. ___ 3. ___... Tissue types 1. ___..." and so on. Then I quizzed myself. Then I reviewed and repeated until I knew everything. Monday she gave us a nice quiz, and if I didn't score a 95-100% I'll be shocked.

Go to office hours from time to time to review questions you couldn't totally answer from homework and quizzes. (Tip: be organized and have specific questions ready for the professor) A professor loves a student who wants to learn. Many will throw you a bone, if they see you're trying hard. Some might even go so far as to give you exam questions or an extra credit option.

Go to your college's reading/writing lab, tutoring center, and any other resources they offer. Utilize as much of the free resources the school offers. One idea is to visit the library and see if they have other textbooks on that subject so you can look up the one concept for a different approach to it.

Definitely find study partners. I size up the class early on to identify the motivated students, and I ask those to study with me. Even if they don't know any more than I do, just the act of scheduling a review time gets me to focus.

Never miss class, no matter how boring the class is or how sick I feel. If they allow it, bring a recorder for the faster classes; make a second set of notes based on the audio recording, then compare with the first set to see what you might've misunderstood or missed.

Do not be afraid to look outside of your class' text for a better explanation or help. Look for free online versions of textbooks and read related passages. I also get free textbooks (PaperBack Swap: Book Club offers Free Books when you Trade, Swap or Exchange Used Books) used in other schools so I have a different explanation & set of exercises. I check Google and YouTube for animated clips or videos to explain concepts. The world is full of places you can get information.

Originally Posted by The David

By competition, I'm referring to situations where I take a core class and am expected to know how to do something before being told how to do it. I'm referring to teachers who ramble but don't give information. I'm talking about any class that gets in the way of learning the subject.

I hear your words and it feels almost like blame: it's the teacher's fault or the curriculum's fault you're not learning. Do you resent having to take requirements? Maybe I am guessing wrong, and I if I am, I apologize. But if that indeed is the case, the first thing that must change is your mindset -- you're getting in the way of your own success.

Question for you:
How many hours per week do you spend outside of the average 3 credit college class doing homework? If a big exam is on the schedule, how soon before the exam date do you begin studying for it?

Knowing what you should study: honestly I'd say study everything. Knowing too much will never hurt you. Knowledge is interconnected and cumulative, so it can come in handy later. It doesn't cost you anything to learn extra, except perhaps your time.

I'm not taking much right now. It isn't just this semester I'm concerned about, it's the fact that I've been in college for five semesters and have hardly learned anything of real value.

You have the wrong outlook. *Everything* can be of value, if you know where to apply it. Everything is everything else.

I appreciate your time but it doesn't sound like you've read my post at all.

Why do you say that? I read every word. I hear the words of someone who is content with only a C average but who plans to use incomplete knowledge to be someone else's teacher, and I think we just disagree on the merits of this plan.

You wrote in your first post:

"Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to retake some classes and see if I can get a 3.0 or close. But there is too much to learn, too little time, and too few people to learn it from. Lately I've just been here buying time and teaching myself most things."

See if you can "get a 3.0 or close"? You're selling yourself short.

Instead of taking classes twice and hoping for maybe a B the second go around, I want you to raise the bar. Take the class once and shoot for an A. If someone as airheaded as I am can get As, anyone can. (And I'm in a competitive medical track where alot is expected) Why can't you get As? What's wrong with getting As? You CAN do it.

One thing I've learned is to stack the cards in my favor. For example:

* If I know I'll go through one or two tough weed-out classes, I'll schedule only (easy) cupcake classes around it that semester. Be creative in your scheduling and options. Don't be afraid to ask if you can change the order classes normally are taken in for your major.

* If I know I don't think well at certain times of the day, I do my best not to take a hard class during that time slot. I sign up for classes the day the registration office opens, so I get pick.

* I know where I sit in the classroom makes a difference for me. Too close to the back or near a window, and my mind is off daydreaming. I get to the first day of class early and force myself to sit in the front row. For some reason I learn better if the podium area is to my left, so I always sit on the same side.


* If I know I don't do well hungry or thirsty, I make sure to find the time for a good snack before class.

* You can test out of some basic requirement classes using the CLEP test. I don't feel like taking one of the basic (boring) English classes, so for $70 I can test out of it. Not all school accept CLEP credits, but many do.

* See if the required class is taught in a different way. Some professors are unconventional in how they teach which might work better for you. Some colleges offer class+online hybrid classes. Many accredited colleges let you transfer credits back and forth, and it might be better to take the boring requirement class at your home's community college or somewhere with just smaller class sizes.


Hope my ideas were of some help to you. Best of luck!

[Dusty]

If you believe GPA matters, then it will.

I used to. I was getting principal's list in college, then I woke up and saw the ridiculous story society brainwashed into me that said GPA matters.

For me, it doesn't at all. I just quit college last week... never been happier.

[The David]

Originally Posted by funchy

I hear the words of someone who is content with only a C average but who plans to use incomplete knowledge to be someone else's teacher, and I think we just disagree on the merits of this plan.

Actually, I was a B student when I first decided to teach. If I were content with a C average, I wouldn't be on here asking what I'm supposed to do. Your first post just sounded like an automated response. I threw myself into this school thing about three years ago by my own choice, made good grades and expected more of myself than anyone else did, had a nervous breakdown and almost dropped out, but came back and am now a C student. I am not blaming anyone, I am not selling myself short. I'm just losing patience with people who think they know me better than I know myself.

But I think I know where you're coming from now. Unfortunately, that's a lot of information for me to read thoroughly right now, so I'll come back later with some more positive things to say.

[The David]

I hear your words and it feels almost like blame

I hear your words and it feels almost like The Secret.

I appreciate your time, I really do. I just don't think we're anywhere near on the same page. I posted this so I can get some honest questions, not a pat on my C- back. I guess if you hadn't used words like 'rationalize', 'incompetent', and 'half-assed' it might not have put me on the defensive as much.

I mean, come on, If you're 'lazy' and not 'intelligent', but you can get a 3.95, doesn't that mean that my half-assed, rationalizing ways aren't really what's holding me back?