Grade Point Average.
For some, it may mean nothing but a number, but as for myself, Grade Point Average is a reflection of not only how hard college students work at earning his or her grades, but can act as a catalyst to motivate students to achieve an even higher GPA than they did the previous semester. At the end of the day, my GPA gives me a sense of pride, and to strive to always put my best foot forward. Whether you think so or not, your GPA absolutely matters!
Let’s be honest, maintaining a high GPA in college can be rather difficult at times. College is certainly no cakewalk. Between juggling extracurricular activities, working what feels like those seven grueling hours of pain as a college student, along with keeping up with grades can be quite the challenge, especially if you find yourself struggling with time management, something I feel, can be fixed with a little bit of prioritizing.
If college students neglect to keep up with their GPA, they may not necessarily be guaranteed a spot in the college they’ve been dreaming of attending since high school, or qualify for those helpful scholarships that can be put towards pricey college tuition depending on where one applies. And, truth be told, students may view each other a little differently seeing what kind of effort, if any at all, that he or she puts toward their studies. When you take care of your GPA, your GPA will take care of you!
Earning a high GPA not only allows students the opportunity to earn a rightful spot on the Dean’s List, but a chance to join different clubs, or organizations they may be interested in that could possibly lead them to newfound friendships that last a lifetime, or discovering a passion they never knew they had within.
Not only are they truly rewarding, but it ultimately makes you feel great about yourself. Something, I believe, every college student should feel all the time! Hard work always gets recognized, and for that, college students need to give themselves a little more credit for all the challenges they have proved to themselves they can conquer when they may have thought otherwise.
To me, maintaining a good GPA is so critically important in college because it allow doors to be opened that would otherwise remain potentially closed. When a student is recognized as a hard worker, and demonstrates that they are able to handle getting involved in college all while taking four, five, maybe even six classes at once, students should highly commend themselves.
If, at the end of the semester when all grades are finalized and calculated into your GPA and you feel a sense of dissatisfaction with it, don’t throw in the towel. Discouragement will always hold one back. You have more than likely heard the saying from a parent or professor, “There is always room for improvement,” which is incredibly true. Whether college students realize it or not, they improve every single day, even in the smallest of ways. This is growth. And with growth not only comes better grades and a higher GPA, but an even better you.
PHOTO TAKEN by Caroline Mattise
