Okay, let me rephrase that title: Your GPA is important, it’s just not as important as you think.
As college students, we’ve been told one hundred times over that our Grade Point Average defines us. It’s a formal measurement of how smart you are, how well you test, and how much information you can recall upon being asked. While some of this is true, and your GPA does matter, it’s not the entirety of what can define you as a successful student. The real world isn’t a classroom, and because of this, there are some things a GPA can’t measure, such as how well you can verbally communicate, collaborate, and connect with others, skills that, depending on your field of work, are arguably more important than your GPA will ever be.
Take it like this, in my opinion, what’s most important in college isn’t earning a 4.0, it’s meeting as many people as you can and building and managing meaningful and strong relationships. In other words: networking. Whether you want to be a lawyer, journalist, or business executive, networking is the key to making it far in your profession. As the phrase goes, success rarely happens in isolation.
Increasingly, how well you can hold a conversation or make someone feel comfortable is becoming an invaluable skill. According to a 2022 study done by LinkedIn, an estimated 85% of jobs are now filled as a result of networking. This means that almost nine out of ten people who fill out applications don’t get their job strictly because of their college GPA or the courses they took, but because they know someone or they know someone who knows someone.
This statistic alone should ease some hearts as midterms are rapidly approaching. Yes, spend time studying hard, but also think about how you can redistribute your time moving forward.
Despite its importance, many college students don’t spend much time networking, and that’s simply because they don’t know how. But networking isn’t difficult, so it shouldn’t be intimidating. Networking doesn’t only entail dressing up in formal clothes and swapping resumes and business cards, but it’s also doing something as simple as staying and chatting with a professor after class, joining a student organization, or reaching out to alumni who are in the field you aspire to be.
Again, let me reinforce that your GPA does matter, and you shouldn’t completely ignore your academics in favor of a game of golf. Balance is key. If you spend all your time locked in your dorm room obsessing over every decimal point, when you graduate, you may find yourself with a summa cum laude cord but no one to show it off to. If you spend all your time at the bar with friends, on the other hand, you might end up with great memories but no degree to back them up. Both extremes miss the point.
Instead, try asking a classmate or two if they want to get together in the student center or library and do some classwork. You’ll be able to get your work done and meet and learn about new people in the process. Remember that college is full of people who are just as curious, open, and ambitious as you are. Small interactions will go a long way. Your grades might open a door, but relationships will help you walk through it.
So, to rephrase my title one more time: Talk your way to the top, your GPA is important, but connections are more.
