Grade point average, or GPA, is the most crucial factor in American college admission evaluations, but it is far from the most important element in college. College GPA is important for application to graduate schools and is believed to play a significant role in job applications as well. However, according to Thomas Friedman’s interview with Laszlo Bock, who is in charge of all hiring at Google, college GPA, or college education in general, is weighing less and less in hiring decisions. What’s important here is not the number on the transcript, but the attributes the job applicant demonstrates. To demonstrate attributes, of course, one has to develop these abilities at the best place—college. Therefore, I would argue that college is not a place for high scores, but a place for development beyond grades.
Many students come into college with the high school mentality on grade, which regards grades as the supreme factor in school, but I think such mentality interferes with a healthy college experience. First and foremost, a GPA-first mentality leads to the selection of easier and less challenging classes. In college, there are usually many classes to choose from, and many classes offer both easy and difficult levels. To secure a higher GPA, easy classes seem a safer bet than the challenging courses. Unfortunately, many students are staying inside their comfort zone to get a higher GPA.
In college, we need a mentality that defines success differently. I never believe that GPA or what school one goes to can ever measure success. Success depends upon how much one contributes to society, so good grades and famous schools are mere steps in the long road toward success. Many people take these steps to achieve success, while others enjoy neither but still triumph in their lives.
For me, it is difficult to articulate at this stage of my college career what sort of development is necessary in the college experience. However, it is always good to know what is not necessary—GPA.