<p>I totally agree with you lollybo. I think another important factor is what college you go to as there is definitely a difference in standards.</p>
<p>To answer the OP’s questions, is it hard?</p>
<p>Depending on where you go to school, yes. If you go to your safety where you already probably more talented then +90% of the people there then probably not as hard if you get into your reach where likely everyone is more talented than you. It isn’t impossible in the later case, you’ll have to work your ass off and the curve will be harder to beat given effort equal to your peers.</p>
<p>for me, its a hugeeeee difference from hs to college. My high school was pretty much a joke. Still, it definitely is possible, you pretty much have to be in the top 15 % in most of the classes here. So if ur really bright compared to ur fellow students, chances are a lot better obviously.</p>
<p>Getting a 4.0 is completely doable, but unless you are so absolutely brilliant, it will be a nerve wrecking experience. You will always look at every test that is not an A/A+ as a death sentence. You will look at your professors either with fear or with antagonistic feelings if things don’t go your way in class. You will contemplate almost everyday after the drop/add period whether a W is better than an A-minus. You will not be adventurous in your education because you will choose the safe professors who you can get an A rather those who can teach you something new, but grade hard like a rock. Senior year will be hell because you will be wrapped in fear that some minor screw up will totally destroy your work over the previous three years. Of course, this only happens if you are not incredibly brilliant and have a decent, but not extraordinary intelligence.</p>
<p>Believe me, I tried for a 4.0, it was not a fun experience.</p>
<p>I partially agree with Reddune. I have maintained a 4.0 after four semesters at Georgia Tech, and I personally feel that I have “…decent, but not extraordinary” intelligence, so I’d like to address his points one by one.</p>
<p>“…it will be a nerve wrecking experience.”</p>
<p>Yes and no. It’s only nerve wracking for those classes where you don’t have a lot of room for error (or any at all!) For example, I felt no pressure at all when I took my Management Statistics final because I only needed a 50 to get an A. Moreover, the professor allowed us the use of a crib sheet, and his question types were unchanged from the review. I was done in ten minutes. On the other hand, I was under significant pressure when I took my Intermediate Macro final. I needed at least an 88 to get an A, but I knew that his tests weren’t easy. I ended up taking the entire three hours for that one. Boy was I relieved when I found out I got an A…</p>
<p>“…death sentence.”</p>
<p>Again, yes and no. It definitely puts you under increased pressure, but unless you absolutely bomb the test, it isn’t a death sentence. I made a low B on my first Business Law test, but I made As on the next two tests, so I knew that I could make an A on the final and thus have an A in the class.</p>
<p>“…fear or with antagonistic feelings…”</p>
<p>Yes. I failed two assignments that together accounted for 20% of my grade in Technical Writing. I freely admit that I was very afraid that I would make a B in a seemingly “easy” class, and I did possess some antagonistic feelings toward the professor. Luckily, he let all of us redo our lowest grade. A thirty-seven point increase in my lowest grade just barely gave me an A in the class.</p>
<p>“…whether a W is better than an A-minus…”</p>
<p>Yes. Going back to Technical Writing, I honestly considered for a few days whether I should drop the class before the “drop with W” period ended. I decided against it because a W puts you out of consideration for Dean’s List and Faculty Honors, and I computed that it was still feasible to make an A in the class.</p>
<p>“…safe professors…”</p>
<p>No. I have always chosen the harder professors over the easier ones unless my schedule didn’t allow it.</p>
<p>“Senior year will be hell…”</p>
<p>Don’t know yet! :)</p>
<p>My friend has a 4.0. He says it’s all luck. Even the brightest kids will come across a harsh professor at some point.</p>
<p>This is a ridiculous question. It absolutely depends on where you are going to school, how hard your major is and whether you take courses that challenge you or easy courses just to get a good grade. My daughter is at Duke and it is very difficult to get a 4.0</p>
<p>I had one my first semester, but not after that. It’s really hard to get with A- not counting as 4’s.</p>
<p>LOL
Umm I think it will be harder, my friend goes to Rutgers
and he says its like taking AP classes.</p>
<p>A 4.0? It depends.</p>
<p>I’ve noticed that being a little quicker on the uptake, so to speak, than many of my peers has helped me get As in classes. I think that very little of the issue is how good you are… it’s how much better than other people you are.</p>
<p>I work harder than most of the other people in my major, but definitely not as hard as the most insane people I know. It will take work to keep a 4.0.</p>
<p>I’ve never avoided classes based on the professor, and I’ve always signed up for the most advanced coursework that interested me (where it was feasible / advisable). I’ve also managed to hold down several jobs with the University, and have a few research experiences to boot. I think that if you’re sacrificing these sorts of things to get the 4.0, you’re doing yourself a disservice.</p>
<p>Technically, I don’t have a 4.0. I have a 3.97. I made one B in a freshman music course… because my professor didn’t agree with my conclusions in comparing the lives of Mozart and Galileo. I could have had an A in the class if I had re-written the paper to suit his taste, but I think I did the right thing in not compromising my academic integrity. I still look fondly on that class, and don’t regret my decision at all.</p>
<p>A 4.0 is overrated, anyway. It’s really more a measure of how well you do on tests than anything. I’m not a fan of grading coursework… IMHO, the pass/fail system is to be preferred.</p>
<p>depends on the school… I would not classify a 4.0 at my school as “completely doable” as many in this thread have.</p>
<p>In the last 6 years or so at my school, 0-2 people each year have graduated with a 4.0, out of roughly 1450 students in the graduating class. The kid who graduated with a 4.0 in my class was a physics/math double major, with enough credits for a 3rd major, and published in multiple disciplines.</p>
<p>Obviously, he had his choice of grad schools.</p>
<p>In general, a 4.0 is vastly overrated. And the sooner you realize that, the better your college experience will be.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=Darko21]
a 4.0 means that you’re better than everyone else.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=hyder1227]
a 4.0 means you tried harder than everyone else.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Both false. The cognitive skills of the typical College Confidential member seem surprisingly appalling.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, this isn’t true. I have a 4.0 and many friends. I once took a bus back after finishing an 8:00 AM and said hi to five friends in five minutes as I was walking to my dorm. It’s hard for me to walk around campus without greeting at least five people I know on any day at any time.</p>
<p>One of my friends has a 4.0. Excluding his fraternity brothers, I’m pretty sure he knows many more people than I do.</p>
<p>If a 4.0 is your goal, you do have to spend much more time on your studies than otherwise, but it’s not like you’re socially alienated.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Marked by your astounding counter-proof and logical analysis of “Both false”, I suppose you fall into the typical college confidential member category, then.</p>
<p>a 4.0 means you got better grades than everyone else.</p>
<p>and grades can be pretty random at the college level.</p>
<p>Getting a 4.0 in the sciences requires a significant amount of luck, no matter how hard you work sometimes. I have never gotten a 4.0 in college. I was close Fall semester sophomore year but I always get one or two A-'s. The best example is the end of my Spring semester. I held either a 3.93/4.0 in all of my classes, some of which were very difficult and graduate level, for the entire semester. I look at my finals schedule and I see I have four finals in 4 days, all at 8 in the morning with the first starting on the first scheduled day of finals. Keeping in mind that a lot of my classes are based entirely on competition (Organic II comes to mind) and no other sophomores took a schedule similar to mine and I had lab books, projects, and a make-up exam the last week of classes. I essentially had a weekend and 2 days to prepare for 4 straight days of finals on the first week. I finished this semester with a 3.5. If you plan on getting a 4.0 have fun not challenging yourself because I think that is the only way it is possible. Aside from being the exceptional genius.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=Darko21]
Marked by your astounding counter-proof and logical analysis of “Both false”, I suppose you fall into the typical college confidential member category, then.
[/quote]
And I suppose you do too.</p>
<p>Let’s face it. We’re all the same inside.</p>
<p>And by that I mean literally.</p>
<p>Yes, I’m being serious. Every member on CC is the same person posting under alts. You may not remember because you have multiple-personality disorder. But I used a camera to record my activity, only to find out later that I was posting under multiple accounts, including Darko21, Either/Or, and … every member of CC. I know it’s crazy, so I guess I (i.e. you) need help.</p>
<p>I look forward to your reply on this issue, me.</p>
<p>Rambling is not my area of expertise. I have nothing to say to the above.</p>
<p>There’s really little difference between 3.9 and 4.0, IMO. So if your goal is really to maximize your GPA I wouldn’t worry if you get a few B’s and it falls a bit. It won’t be the end of the world.</p>
<p>In some cases 4.0 might actually be worse than a 3.8. I spoke to one recruiter (not at a place I was applying to) who said that they refuse to hire most with a 4.0 GPA because these people are generally not very well rounded and frequently lack social skills. They would prefer to hire “real” people. Grades are important but they are not everything.</p>
<p>i heard a large percent of freshman at Brown have a gpa of 4.0. But then again they can make any class they want pass or fail, so at Brown, getting a 4.0 doesn’t necessarily make you better than anyone else.</p>