I've always told people this but when you are in school you don't know what to expect so you don't listen to reason. But, this is the absolute truth.
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 résumé, and generally having the time of your life on your parent?s dime.
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 résumé, and generally having the time of your life on your parent?s dime.
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