College is supposed to be a place where you’re more than just a number. People say it’s where you become an individual and separate your past from your future.
If that’s true, why do I seem to be the only one thinking that way? Almost everyone I know is disgustingly grade-obsessed. In real life, lots of people live paycheck-to-paycheck. That’s reality. In college, people live test to test, project to project. That’s atrocious.
Now, I get that there are some companies that will only hire you if you have a certain grade point average. But is it even worth the trouble? Maybe you’re in the wrong field of study.
When you live test to test, the only thing you’re utilizing is your short-term memory. Cram, cram, cram for a night and forget as soon as you leave the test room. That’s not learning.
So, in my superior sense of wisdom with senior-class status, here’s what I’ve got: Spend your time more valuably. Join student groups. Volunteer. Get a part-time job for when you’re not in class. You’ll learn more about life in your time here that way. Even if those things don’t help you figure out what you want to do with your life, they’ll help you understand the things you won’t want in your future.
How do I know this? Last week I got a call from a hiring manager in the exact field I want to enter, and I didn’t even apply for a job there. I’m living proof that reputations precede you. If I hadn’t stepped outside my comfort zone to join a student group of which I knew nothing about — a group that none of my friends belonged to — I might not have found my passion.
Pessimists might surmise that my grades have suffered because of my extracurricular involvements. If anything, extracurriculars helped me manage my time more wisely. Have you ever told yourself you’d get something done over the summer and then, of course, it never got done? I’d bet it’s because of the constant procrastination due to the realization that you have so much time to do it. And then you never get around to finishing anything.
Instead, commit to something more structured and you’ll have it made. Goals are already set for you. All you have to do is meet, then exceed them.
Remember, your GPA is only one line on your résumé.