<p>I will begin my freshman year of college this Fall and I have come to the decision to actually give it my all and attempt to become my class valedictorian. This is the first time that i have pushed myself to think that I actually could do this. I know i have the potential to do it but its just a matter of harnessing it and using it effectively. </p>
<p>So i ask you CC, could you guys please give me some tips or pointers to undergoing this? Maybe a motivational pep-talk would help.</p>
<p>[How</a> to Become Valedictorian - wikiHow](<a href=“http://www.wikihow.com/Become-Valedictorian]How”>How to Become Valedictorian: 15 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow)
just follow this guide and you’ll be valedictorian in no time!
no but seriously though, it is a good goal to set for yourself if not a bit unrealistic. just try to remain motivated and don’t start getting lazy/distracted. also don’t give up and all that other stuff. i believe in you!</p>
<p>That goal is neither realistic nor conducive to the aims of great post-college opportunities (graduate school, professional school, ‘real-world’ careers, etc.) College isn’t similar to high school in that a small, elite group of students viciously compete for a high ranking; in fact, I would be surprised if your college even discloses a rank to you. Remember, too, that college is much more difficult than anything you experienced in high school. You will be living mostly on your own, managing your own time, and learning most of the academic material on your own. If you come out of college with a solid 3.x G.P.A., then you are setting yourself up for good post-college opportunities. Even more so, this can’t be stressed enough, you need to be active in organizations and opportunities throughout the school year and especially during your summers off doing meaningful extracurricular activities and internships that enhance your real-world employable skills - leadership, time/energy management, a marketable skill of any sort, etc. </p>
<p>This isn’t high school. Don’t treat it as such.</p>
<p>High school is completly off my mind with this. Of course i am going to be improving my skill set while i am in college.I am an active person in my community regardless to what I may be doing, that is just the kind of person i am. But if i have the chance to do this then of course im going to take it. I know the route i am taking is the one least traveled on and I welcome the hardship that awaits me, but I believe deeply in my heart that I can accomplish this while enjoying my time in college and improving on the skills that are needed in today’s job market.</p>
<p>Being valedictorian should not really be your goal or point in college, and since you haven’t even started yet it’s quite unrealistic. You would have to get a 4.0 or very close to it, and in college that is often very difficult unless you take easy courses, easy professors and don’t challenge yourself. Sure there are exceptions to this rule (i.e biochem major vals), but usually it’s an unattainable goal for most. A more realistic goal might be to strive for honors. Not to mention, employers are more concerned with work experience and grad schools more concerned with research experience than if you were the valedictorian or not. Please don’t take this the wrong way, it’s just that I feel like you shouldn’t set yourself up for failure. :)</p>
<p>Do colleges declare a val? I guess it might be possible at smaller universities, but why? Go for honors. The criteria vary from college to college. For mine it’s a straight GPA cutoff, but then again we have graduating classes of 2400.</p>
<p>What kind of college are you going to – are you entering in within the top percentiles in terms of test scores and high school GPA? How big is it? What is your anticipated major? What kind of trade-offs are you willing to make – will you sacrifice rigorous courses for GPA? What about sacrificing other things? There will be kids who are machines – do you have the biological foundation to be on top? I’ve met people who routinely sleep less than 3 hours a day and function normally. I’ve met people who read a novel an hour.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as a valedictorian in many schools, I though? People are segregated into majors, and there’s absolutely no common way to judge people? </p>
<p>We do have certain awards given to single individuals in a graduating class for a certain major, however.</p>
<p>Depending on the tier college you’re going to, it’d be very difficult-sheer impossible. You’ll be competing against thousands and thousands of kids. You’d have to take classes that are easy to ace, not the ones you’re interested in. You’d have to sacrifice other stuff you could be doing, like research or hanging out with friends. </p>
<p>Besides, if you haven’t pushed yourself before, what makes you think you’ll do it now? You’ll be competing against kids who’ve pushed themselves their entire lives.</p>
<p>honestly, don’t listen to all the negative posts. the fact is people do it every year. if you’re willing to work for it then i’m sure you have a shot.</p>
<p>Thanks Attack i needed that. I think people have missed what i have said in this. I’ve been underestimated a lot in my short life but I have always proved those people to be wrong. I truely think i can do this. Whoever said I wouldn’t do all the other things that the other replies have mentioned? Whatever the opposition I may face i will try my best. Im not really expecting to become the valedictorian but im just using the thought of that to make sure I dont lose focus.</p>
<p>Something just as measurable and a bit more useful would be an (almost) perfect GRE subject score. If you want to go to grad school, of course. </p>
<p>In college you have to play a different game - nobody’s gonna care if you are the straight-A-kid.
Our valedictorians haven’t pushed themselves that much. They have to take easy courses, easy professor, else they wouldn’t be able to handle the workload - some things are simply physically impossible.
If you really want to challenge yourself, try to ace uber-hard courses (I’ve ended up impressing a really scary professor so much that he’s now inviting me to office hours and bullying me to study crazy extra-stuff…). Try to do a double-major in “hard” subjects. Work part-time. (Gets you out of debt. Impresses people.) Learn to speak a language fluently (This is not my native language, as you might have noticed.)
Stuff like that.</p>
<p>My college didn’t even have a valedictorian…they named the top ten seniors, but that’s only because it’s our school’s tradition that the top ten seniors plan and conduct the Class Day program for the rest of the senior class on the Friday before graduation. No one knew what order the seniors were in or who was the top student; I guess if they compared GPAs among themselves they could’ve figured it out, but no one had time for that nonsense when we were trying to get jobs and finish our obligations so we could graduate.</p>
<p>I knew a few people in college who had the goal of becoming our class’s valedictorian and disclosed such a goal during freshman orientation. They had usually dropped it by the end of the first semester. It doesn’t matter - what matters more is doing the various activities, getting internships, doing as well in your classes as you can, performing research, and attempting to secure that job or that grad/professional school slot after college. I didn’t even know most of my college classmates’ grade point averages and I have no way of assessing where I even WAS in my senior class. Being the valedictorian is a meaningless goal since no one will care (literally, no one, except your mom).</p>
<p>Aiming for Latin honors is a better goal.</p>
<p>AS for your latest post, it doesn’t even make sense to make it so you don’t “lose your focus,” since it is a goal that is very easily shot down after your first semester or year. If you make anything less than a 3.8 GPA during your first year, you’re out of the running. And this point was already made – but you need to see if your school even designates a valedictorian.</p>
<p>To be on the safe side, make sure your college has a valedictorian in the 1st place lol. My college doesn’t either. They recognize individuals students who excelled in different fields though.
Study well, but don’t forgot to have some fun too.
I know GPA is important, but if that means taking easy classes, no thank you for me. College is about challenging yourself, finding what you are made of. Take the classes that intrigue you, that push you to the next level.
And try to make some good friends, the ones who will watch your back. I seen a lot of posts in CC about problems in finding friends in ur freshman year, so don’t spend all your time in your room studying :)</p>
<p>Do you really care so much about what these people think that you’d make yourself miserable or lose out on the college experience for the sake of proving them wrong? Is it not good enough for you to know how smart or able you are?</p>
<p>Frankly, I think you’re just being foolish. Let’s see if you’re singing the same tune a year from now after you realize that college is different from high school. You don’t have to be “valedictorian” to be smart, accomplished, or at the top of your class.</p>
<p>I think you’re misunderstanding, friend. Being valedictorian is easier than actually succeeding in college, because success in college is not measured solely by your GPA. </p>
<p>Success in college is a function of GPA, major, experiences, extracurriculars, connections, skills learned, and many other things. You also have to take some time to yourself, or else you will “burn out” and achieve peak performance in your college career. Instead, work hard but maintain balance in your life, and go for the honors and a high GPA.</p>
<p>If you want to be the BEST and prove people that you can achieve things, then pick a really competitive internship or scholarship and work your ass off for THAT, because THAT would be something WORTH accomplishing.</p>
<p>WOWW!!! this is soo weird because i had the same idea in mind, iwas gonna start college with the goal of becoming valedictorian to " stay focused" but everyone in this thread has helped open my eyes and see reality! Its TRUELY not about the GPA! Its about doing well in the courses and mastering subjects and advancing towards your career! Thank you so much and dude who began this dont feel like people have shut down your dream they have just shown you reality and given you a better goal, the deans list or honors!</p>