<p>I'm on my 5th year of school because I had low GPA but I think I came to realization that improving GPA isn't that good of a reason to go back to school because there are jobs that doesn't require 3.0 minimum.</p>
<p>I found out that if I choose to, even if I drop out of this semester I can have my graduation date be Fall 2012 or Summer 2012 instead of the normal Winter 2012 which would be the last semester I've taken classes in if I drop out of this semester and declare graduation. But I heard that official transcript instead of diploma is used to prove graduation status which makes me worry that employers might see that I never took classes beyond Winter 2012 but my graduation date says otherwise. Would employers see through this and see it as a ploy to cover up several months of employment gap?</p>
<p>I am thinking if I drop out I might have to apply for graduation date of Fall 2012 because I would need at least a couple months to pay back the approximately $4k of loans for this semester that my family has already used all of because of bad financial situations. (They will not let me get my diploma until I pay back all the loans for this semester.)</p>
<p>It depends, some schools will ask for a copy of your transcript and they will see, that you have taken no classes. Some employers may ask you what are you taking in school this semester. How are you going to answer that question.</p>
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<p>They are also not going to release your transcripts until you pay back this money. You have placed yourself in a bit of a bind by unnecessarily going to schools for credits that you did not need.</p>
I don’t know how I can answer this question. Could you give some suggestion?</p>
<p>Or would this mean that I might as well just finish this semester with easy classes without really trying hard to get As because even if I raise it to 2.8 it might not be worth the effort?</p>
<p>My university is a prestigious public university if that could be used to somewhat cover up the bad GPA. </p>
<p>Another weakness is that I didn’t have much of a job experience or internship, only a few months at retail minimum wage job, a couple interpreting gigs, and volunteering.</p>
<p>Could I still get into some job that requires a college degree? Any suggestions on what kind of jobs that requires college degree have lots of openings?</p>
<p>Should I stick until this semester or next semester too? Getting all A is very difficult though. It must be very stressful. So if I stick it out 2 semesters I think the best I can get is maybe 2.9. So my mother wanted me to go for a 3rd semester in study abroad to get my GPA up to 3.0.</p>
<p>Would it be possible to explain to employers in my cover letter or my resume that I have enough credits to graduate and will get the diploma as soon as I earn enough money from the job to pay off the loans for this semester? Or would that be a big turnoff they would not hire me?</p>
<p>Surely employers will regard the diploma as proof of graduation, not the transcript.</p>
<p>I think it is looser than you think for many jobs. There are jobs, for example in sales, where personality is far more important than GPA, and a high GPA may be viewed as a serious barrier to getting hired. </p>
<p>When you have more experience and may be ready to move up, having a degree will be useful, but the details will be unimportant. Most Presidents don’t even let you see their transcript.</p>
<p>I’ve never been asked to show a diploma or transcript or what my GPA was. It depends so much on your field. In some fields, every employer will have GPA cut-offs and want to see a transcript, while in others work experience and personality are all that they pay attention to. I’d be careful about lying about those things, because you could get asked for the transcript, but it’s definitely possible that the question won’t come up.</p>
<p>In terms of graduation, I don’t personally think it would be problematic to say “I’m done with classes now and will be getting my degree in December” or whatever. That happens often for scheduling or other random reasons. If I were you, I would try to get an internship right now and look for a job after you have the degree. That way, you’ll actually have some good experience, which should help you in your job search.</p>
<p>It’s called being realistic. Even people with high GPA’s with a liberal arts degree can’t get jobs. Just trying to help the OP out and to know what to expect.</p>
<p>Nobody needs to be reminded of their shortcomings. The OP is surely aware that his/her GPA is not going to open doors. Hence the reason for staying in school. Tact goes a long way, and the OP shows diplomacy, IMO. No need to rub salt in the wound. JMO. OP is asking for guidance re: school, work, finances, etc. A little kindness and sensitivity goes a long way.</p>