<p>
</p>
<p>Backing up hunter here, you might be surprised (and elementary or not, I personally think it’s still a point worth mentioning). I knew kids who came to college–and I mean smart kids at great schools–having coasted right through HS. Some of them had to pick up ‘basic’ study/work skills (including ‘learn how to prioritize’ and ‘know your audience’) once they got to college. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Nothing alone is the key to a 3.9 GPA. I also agree that writing is an important part of this, though, and should be emphasized. Again, elementary or not, I still think it bears mentioning. I certainly know law school aspirants who struggle with writing, or who write decently, but very, very slowly (to the detriment of their other coursework). </p>
<hr>
<p>Now, I don’t think that relaxation, partying, getting out, etc. are necessarily the keys to a high GPA, but I think the overall point of hunter’s post was balance, with which I agree. The best students that I knew were not the ones who lived in the library and obsessed over every grade, nor were they the ones who came home drunk multiple times per week and wrote their papers in the hour before class. For the most part (and yes, there are exceptions to every rule), they were the ones who worked hard, but knew (and respected) their own limits.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^ Agreed. I also agree with the point that not everyone necessarily needs to balance work + partying, specifically. For some, it’s a balance of work + movie nights, or work + sleep + gym, or whatever. To each his own, but I think the point is ultimately the same: there should be a balance of work and non-work. In my personal experience, a healthy dose of pleasure actually makes me work much better. If I work too hard for too long, I just get crabby, emotional, and stressed. I lose focus, productivity declines, and I drive myself nuts with anxiety. I was lucky enough to have a roommate who could always tell when I was reaching that point and who’d say “Come on…I’m driving you to In-n-Out and then we’re going to watch some Friends before you pick this back up.” Eventually, I caught on to her point, and realized what a good one it was. I’m not saying that it’s always a good idea to drop what you’re doing and de-stress–sometimes you do need to keep plugging away, and it’s important to know that, too–but knowing yourself + your own limits is a good thing.</p>