Seriously, does my GPA matter?
Of course grades matter. Why else would teachers assign them?
The real question is, how much do they matter?
At one time or another, we’ve all wondered how much weight grades actually carry, whether it was in regard to an 8th grade spelling test or a sophomore philosophy paper. The bottom line is, there are cases when your grades matter a great deal, and others when they’re merely a formality. In high school, they are a key evaluation factor for college admissions. Some schools won’t care if you’ve got a 2.0 or a 4.0, but many schools have particular GPA requirements and won’t admit students if they don’t make the cut.
Grades are also important for high school and college students because a lot of scholarship opportunities come out of academic achievement. The highest achievers tend to get the best scholarships, and not only do you need good grades to earn a scholarship, but you’ll also have to maintain those grades to keep it. At many universities, students with low grade point averages are put on academic probation, and are given a set amount of time to bring up their grades if they want to stay in school. A high GPA is also vital for any undergraduate student who might ever want to apply for a master’s degree.
The big question of when a GPA matters comes in landing a job, but there’s no hard and fast rule. Some employers make it a practice to ask candidates about their GPA, while others don’t. It’s not a required resume item, and there’s no established standard employers stick to in evaluating GPA over experience and other qualities. In the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2005 Job Outlook survey, 70 percent of responding organizations said they do screen candidates based on GPA. In addition, 58 percent of them said 3.0 is their cutoff, but that’s not to say someone with a 2.9 isn’t ever going to get a job. Like your education level and experience, your GPA is one more aspect on your resume that gives prospective employers a quick idea of who you are.
Beyond scholarships and job opportunities, there’s a really compelling reason to strive for good grades: To learn something. You’re going to be taught a lot more in college than you’ll ever need in your career, but since you’re investing a lot of time and money into your education, it makes sense to come out with something to show for it. College is your chance to learn more about any topic in the world that interests you, and earning high marks for your work proves that you’re taking as much from your classes as you can.
Your professors studied for years for the privilege to relate what they have learned, and they genuinely want each and every one of their students to succeed. Reading your text books, participating in class discussions, writing well-thought out papers and studying hard for exams will not only help you score top grades, but you’ll learn valuable lessons for your career and life in general. Your new-found knowledge will be reflected in your GPA, as well as in your attitude and demeanor, which will help you land great internships and present well at job interviews, which are all keys to career success.
