<p>Is this true? I feel like gpa in college can make or break you. if you have a bad gpa due to being a bad test taker but you are an honest and hard working, won't the gpa still prevent you from getting into grad school/that internship or whatever?</p>
<p>I guess i'm being a little bitter with myself. I had a midterm today which I studied hard for. I knew my stuff (i know after i explain, you might think, if you really knew your stuff, you would have passed or done better). but i really did. my TA wanted me to help explain concepts to the class as a presentation, and after I did, he even said i did a good job. </p>
<p>but then came the midterm. and the professor used all sorts of tricky questions. They were worded weirdly, idk, but my mind went into some weird mode and I guess I got confused. And screwed up. </p>
<p>Other people commented on the tricky nature of the test, but I don't htink they screwed up as much as me though.....</p>
<p>What do you guys think? I am honest and hardworking. I have worked in research before, but idk if my gpa will prevent me from getting into any more internships (the places i worked before were during high school). </p>
<p>I guess this turned from a broad question that applies to everyone to a personal rant. Sorry, heh. </p>
<p>I’m not an expert, but I’m thinking a 3.5 would be necessary to get a decent internship or get into a grad program.</p>
<p>Does your class not grade on a curve? If you didn’t do as badly as other people, then your grade should be fine. But I’m not sure what the grade distribution generally is at your school.</p>
<p>Keep talking to your TA and professors. Make even more use of office hours. Like 90% of things in life, a low midterm grade can be overcome with lots of extra hours of hard work and practice. </p>
<p>But in any case, shoot for the best GPA you can get, and if you keep talking to your professors, maybe they’ll write a glowing letter of rec for that internship you’re gunning for. And of course, continue your research.</p>
<p>For grad school especially, I think it’s very much a numbers game though - which makes sense, right? It’s not like applying to undergrad, when being the captain of the varsity soccer team or president of the chess club is as important to diversify the incoming class. I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Whoever told you that GPA doesn’t matter wants you to slack off. Simply put. I mean, if I sit two people down to a job interview, who will make the better first impression: she with the 3.7, or she with the 3.1? First impressions mean everything, and it is no different here.</p>
<p>But with an internship, most of the time that’s on you and your people/networking skills. Grades are really a proof model that you went to school, and the degree shows a specific knowledge of something. However, if you want an internship and a job, your GPA matters a lot less.</p>
<p>a good gpa may give you a leg up for your first job…after that, no one will ever ask your gpa again; instead, they will ask what you achieved while on the job. And while it is easier, sometimes, to get that first job with a higher gpa, take a look at the real world around you…doesn’t it seem that most people have jobs/ careers, and not all of those people had 4.0s.</p>
<p>So, obviously try for the high gpa…but don’t let your gpa define you. Work to enrich your resume by real experience and you will do just fine.</p>
<p>Yes it is true. Here’s a hypothetical situation. Let’s say you worked on Wall St. You had a 2.5 GPA but you got accepted into your first job on Wall St and you KICKED ASS, I mean bringing in great results, getting compliments left and right, working hard, etc. You later leave this company and go onto another company where you produce great results yet again. By the time you get to your third company, and with the success you had in your previous two jobs, do you really think they’re going to be all “I see you brought great results to your past jobs…but you have a 2.5 GPA which is a problem…” Most likely, no. They’re not going to care. Jobs care about the results you bring in, not who had the highest GPA.</p>
<p>True stratusfaction. But unless you have serious connections then you aren’t starting off with a decent wall street job with a gpa like that.</p>
<p>GPA really matters for internships, grad school (which is really important), and your first 5 years or so of finding a career. After that its all experience.</p>
<p>Other things matter as well like networking and the school you go to. But anyone who says GPA doesn’t matter is just lazy or stupid. Try getting into an MBA program with a ****ty gpa, it will be a lot more difficult and expensive</p>
<p>They say the world is run by C students. I recently saw a number for millionaires–average SAT? 1190. I don’t remember where I saw it, but it was amusing. I haven’t been asked about a GPA for decades and believe me, I did not list my undergrad one on anything that anyone would see. ;)</p>
<p>Well, I haven’t heard it personally. Just something I’ve seen online or whatever. Well, I guess my dad said that nobody asked for his GPA when he was applying for jobs and now nobody even cares about gpa lol… Of course, that was a while back lol.</p>
<p>But I mean, what if you are good at work? Like, I am good in research and doing experiments. But, the internship people see my bad gpa and don’t give me a chance? How do you get around that?</p>
<p>When I graduated from college, I did not put my GPA on my resume. Though my memory is foggy–it was a loooooong time ago, I do not recall being asked about my GPA in interviews.</p>
<p>I think that it was Bill Cosby who made the joke about graduating Thanka the Laude. That would have been me.</p>
<p>Do your best. You will be employable when you graduate. They say that the purpose of the resume is to get you the interview. The interview gets you the job.</p>
<p>GPA is weighed more for graduate school than work, especially after you have already successfully begin working on your caree. I say if your thirty and asked about your GPA, might not be the best job to pursue to further your career ( usually experience weighs more for top jobs).</p>
<p>Work experience matters more to employers. Yes your GPA is a factor, but as you get older it does matter less and less. As others have said, if you’re 30 you aren’t going to be bragging about your GPA and employers won’t care about it that much. </p>
<p>Of course GPA matters for grad school and internships.</p>
<p>Your GPA in your first 60 hours does not matter to many grad schools. (law and med schools it does however) In fact my college ONLY looks at the GPA of the last 60 hours so it does not matter what you did before that.</p>
<p>There is much truth that when you graduate in most fields that it does not matter what your GPA is… I have a brother that was always telling me to quit studying so much and go live a little “because diplomas do not have a space to write your GPA.”</p>
<p>A higher GPA gives you more options immediately after graduation, CKG0913, but after you join the workforce, you will not talk about it. And if you do, no one will care.</p>
<p>Seems like the GPA is important but it holds more weight for Grad school than for anything else. I guess if you graduate at the top of your class or in the top 5 percent it would be a nice touch.</p>