How many of you believe that your current GPA, whatever it
may be, is your true and well-deserved GPA? Do you believe your GPA represents
your ultimate overall knowledge? One thing I know about GPA’s is that they are
overvalued as the main source of rating intelligence or successfulness within
education. It is a measure of scholastic attainment and it is essential to
prove to others how credible and competent you are. As we matriculate through
the college, we define exactly what we want our career to shape up to be. Many
of us, as students, are being taught that the GPA that we attain through college
determines where and how far we go in our careers. I agree with that insight,
however, people today are discovering that success does not solely come from what
you know. It also comes from who you know, and taking advantage of opportunity.
My story behind all this relates heavy upon how opportunity
can alter chances of success regardless of GPA level. I learned as a business
major, you need to know how to be good with people, learn professionalism,
learn how to work with teams, and learn how to step out of your comfort zone. To
be good with people, first impressions go a long way. You may step into the
elevator of your new office, and you so happen to step in with your senior
manager. He or she may have something to say to you or not, yet it is up to you
to make a good first impression to gain their consideration of competency in
you.
While interning with Ernst & Young, LLP this past
summer, I have learned that being good with words and having light humor can
easily reel a support system in office. Other workers find professionalism
within your content of work, and leadership with your individuality and
confidence. At the same time, they seek that you give off the vibe that you are
enjoying what you do in the current work environment.
In my opinion, GPA’s do not fully suffice for how competent
one person is for the workforce. With the skills I listed above, it is possible
to get there with a sub-par GPA level. As of Spring 2012, I attain a 2.88 GPA.
Within the same semester, I received an internship offer from Ernst &
Young, LLP despite the GPA. Although my GPA may have been noted as obsolete, I
was still recognized during my interview process as a person who can present
himself well in a professional environment, a person who displays confidence in
current knowledge of the work, and a person who exemplifies leadership
qualities to adapt and easily mold with company procedure. Ernst &Young’s
recruitment team gave me feedback reiterating that I possess quality skillsets
that are strong enough for the workforce despite my GPA.
You don’t need a GPA to tell you that you are good at
conversing with people. You don’t need a GPA to tell you that you are logical,
sensible, and cooperative. You don’t need a GPA to tell you how to network with
people. GPA scores typically resemble work ethic, prioritizing, and knowledge
attained from the class courses. It should not be the primary reason as to why
some people do not receive jobs or become successful.
From what may be easy for some, may not be as easy for
others. What people achieve may not be achieved in the same way. We are all
different and carry different strengths and weaknesses, which is all the more
reason why we all have an equal opportunity to succeed in our own individual
ways despite your level of intelligence based on GPA scores.
I would agree with some aspects of this post. GPA definitely doesn't tell someone the full story, but it tells a pretty big part of it. As you mentioned, it shows your work ethic, ability to prioritize, and your ability to grasp difficult concepts. In the work force, all these things are essential and that's why firms use GPA as a way to determine if you will be able to handle the professional environment because it is tougher than the school environment. Talking to recruiters from the firm i Interned with this summer, they said that they use GPA as a way to narrow their applicant pool and have uniformity across the company. They talked about how people with GPA's below the requirement may have a great interview, but it is hard to vouch for them because it has to be accepted by the national level of recruiting.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that someone with a high GPA may lack substantial social skills, which is also a must in the work environment when working with others. One needs to be personable, and fun to work with instead of closed off and only focused on work. Great post, though!
-Oke Bamgbose
A lot of times it depends on the career path that you choose. Having a GPA above 3.0 is crucial. However, I have always found that the activities you belong to in college, things you do with your academics (important papers, etc.) are more important than GPA. In other words, "great you got a 3.2. So did everyone I interviewed today. What did you do with your time there that seperates you." Employers often look not only for "chess club" on the resume but "president of chess club." In other words, that you put time and effort into making an organization better. As long as you aren't going to law school or don't want to be a doctor, etc., GPA should be a concern, but don't be upset if it slips. Look to see how you can distinguish yourself from others.
ReplyDelete-Rodrick Williams
Great post...I def. agree with this.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your post. Though your GPA will take you places and looks great if it is reasonable, but it is only a number. The thing that matters the most is that you try to stand out from the rest of the crowd and give a great first impression. The first impression is usually the one that lasts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Oke and Roderick, a GPA is simply a way of standardizing and quantifying everyone's academic achievement for a four year period during which someone is in the process of furthering their education. It is a fairly black and white concrete number meant to give a snapshot of that persons, work ethic, prioritizing abilities, intelligence and critical thinking skills which is entirely unfair. Sure it is easy to give a biased opinion on the subject if ones high GPA affords them great opportunities, however speaking from said position I think the idea of using a single number to quantify someones level of intelligence disregards the reality of humanity. Some people don't test well, some people are hit hard by family losses, others have financial limitations, some may not have been prepared for college to begin with which if we think about it is a very short period of time to judge someones abilities upon. I understand the need for some sort of standardization simply because of the complexity of life; I believe it is known that different people perform differently and have different situations thus the need for some form of a universal quantifier. My challenge then is to develop some new form of determining someones readiness for a specific job position especially seeing as each profession has different skill sets that are required to perform well at them and even further needs the more specialized the job becomes. What should be considered in this new system? How well do you think it will be accepted by society? Will this take emphasis off of rote memory and standardized testing? What effects will that have on school systems? These are the hard questions.
ReplyDeleteGPA does play a major role in determining work ethics, ability to prioritize, and comprehension skills. Employers also use extra curriculum activities, community service projects, etc. to help them determine what type of person you may be and those additional factors may help confiscate for a lower GPA.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those that have stated that GPA is an indicator of work ethic, gained knowledge in the classroom, and prioritization. Nevertheless, I definitely agree with others that say that there is much more to an individual than his or her GPA but by in no way neglecting the importance of having or trying to obtain a good GPA. One of my biggest lessons I have learned in college is that I am more than my grades. Sometimes your best, seemingly, is not good enough or amount to what you desire. Nevertheless, one should realize that he or she is much more than a letter [grade] or number [score].
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with some points on this subject, i disagree with a few. I feel your GPA has some refection on your work ethics, ability to prioritize, and skills, however, it isn't a total reflection. For some students their GPA is crucial, depending on their future goals such has career choices or furthering their education. What I think matters at the end of the day, is what separates you from everyone else with the same or better GPA, i.e extracurricular activities, organizations.
ReplyDeleteI feel like GPA is important because it sets a standard for academic awards and achievements as well as provide companies with a idea of what type of student you are. GPA shows how well your time management skills are and shows you can handle a social life and be able to get good grades. However, I feel like certain things can effect you which can cause you to lose focus in school or may make school the last priority in a person's life which could lead to a bad GPA when in all actuality, the person is a very smart student.
ReplyDeleteI believe GPAs are typically well deserved (for they are a measure of one's classroom performance), but I do not believe they are reflective of one's abilities. One may not excel in the classroom for various reasons, but still be a wonderful worker in the "real world." I also believe many business understand this and use GPA as merely a filter, not a standard.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with the idea that GPAs "do not tell the whole story", their value should not be misunderstood. GPAs may not tell the "whole story" but they do tell a story - an EXTREMELY important one - they tell a story based in PERCEPTION. GPAs are read at face value by employers and professors, among others, as a story of PERCEIVED ambition, PERCEIVED responsibility and PERCEIVED academic ability. As the age-old cliche says, "Perception becomes reality." The story that is relayed by a poor GPA is one that will strongly be associated with that person. Although a quality skillset can offset a poor GPA, there is no guarantee that the competitors for the opportunities presented do not possess the same skillset with a stronger GPA. If this is the reality, the likelihood of the person with a weaker GPA championing in their quest for opportunities is very slim. So, while the GPA may not be the "say it all", its importance should not be underestimated.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post for a GPA is not a measurement of one's intelligence. A GPA is a measurement of how well a student can study specific material and demonstrate knowing the material on paper via (exams, homework, etc). A student who does well on a test could be very good at memorization or just knowledgable about the subject; however, the person who studies may fail the test. Nevertheless, GPA and other standardized tests are good methods to equalize people for it puts everyone on the same pool as far as comparing people and choosing people for a job or certain position. I dont believe one can't be completely judged from a GPA for I am not my GPA but I do believe it should play a major role if a candidate doesnt meet othe requirements for a job/ position.
ReplyDeleteGreat article. I agree to the extent that GPA is by no means an indicator of intelligence, but as far as scholastics go, it is as good as a credit score. As students we are given one objective, DO WELL IN SCHOOL. I graduated high school with a relatively low GPA, and I now have a fairly descent one. The difference in opportunities presented to me are astronomically different, and I understand why. In short I became more responsible.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a very competitive economy, and the credentials of the people we are competing against are in a lot of cases similar, this is when the attention to details are paid. The question is how do you separate yourself from the competition? The most quantitative ways are via standardized test scores, and GPA. You can do this through campus involvement, community service, and the likes, but what ever it is you do, be the best at it.