What was your GPA in school?

[Philip J. Fry]

I had a 2.9 in high school and a 2.98 in undergrad. Now, at grad school, the teacher (actually, maybe even teachers) told me I have bad study habits and need to improve my scholarship.

I went to a prep school, which was year between high school and university, where they prepared us for university. We took AP classes, practiced the SAT/ACT, and practice our study skills. The thing is, one of the things they taught us there was how a course works.

The syllabus is a contract between the students, the teacher, the dean, the school, and the accreditation board, that accredits the school. If you don't like the contract, withdrawal from the class. If it's a mandatory class, withdrawal from the school. Obviously, syllabuses are never that bad. The syllabus then lists the classes for the duration of the semester along with the grading formula. If it's a well made syllabus, the importance of each subject to the class is reflected in how many days it's covered in class as well as how much it's covered on the tests. So, let's say there's 10 class days for a biology class and Whales takes up 3 days, we know that, on the final, 30% of the test will be on whales. This assumes that the class is a seminar style class with a midterm and final.

So, knowing those things, at the beginning of the semester, one can just decide how much he or she likes the class, pick a goal grade, and then attend class and study for the class based upon the goal grade.

Going back to our example, let's say 1 day of the 10 day biology class was about shrimps. I love shrimps, they're delicious; but, if my goal grade was a B, I'm totally OK to skip that class, as only 10% of the final would be about it. If my grades up until then were A's, this is totally fine (although, I might attend class just to learn more about these delicious animals).

Now, fast forward to 2020! Prep school was 10 years ago and undergrad was 6 years ago.

I'm studying Philosophy, where we're graded on our philosophizing. Classes are discussions, using the socratic method, not endless PowerPoints to memorize. To engage in the discussion, you have to read the material beforehand. Not even once, but at least twice to understand the train of though of the writer.

I love it. It's one of the most enlightening things I've ver done; but, wow, I never realized how poorly prep school prepared me for an education! That school was FUCKED UP! The worse thing was that it was a prestigious school out east, too.

Live and learn, as they say.

Ok, what was your grades?

 

[JamaicanMoose]

It's been a minute, but out of 4.0:

High School: 3.8
Bachelor's #1: 3.1 (too much partying)
Bachelor's #2: 4.0
MBA: 4.0

 

[bernard]

Poor in high school, better in university, and much better in career.

 

[Potatoe]

I got my MBA from Marcy Projects

 

[Ryuzaki]

I graduated from high school and college both with honors in the top group of the class. I'm not sure that this is beneficial for entrepreneurship. Maybe business as an employee. But the amount of detail you get trained to focus on ends up being detrimental to real life operations.

 

[GNews]

2.9 but because i went to a college out of state.. it boosted my GPA to a 3.0 when the grading scales were translated over

The bet quote i ever told my parents: "What do grades really mean? "and i explained how kids are doing better in life with lower grades and how people were still slow, eventhough they could read every detail of a book

I was dead on with the philosophy. I ended up earning more 99% of my graduating class within 1 year of leaving high school & clipsed all my teachers, likely.

However, education is still important in hindsight. Financial literacy could be more focused on for kids like myself.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

I graduated from high school and college both with honors in the top group of the class. I'm not sure that this is beneficial for entrepreneurship. Maybe business as an employee. But the amount of detail you get trained to focus on ends up being detrimental to real life operations.

It's important if you want to go to a top MBA school, where GPA matters. There, you can network with other people, who are also top of their class.

That's actually one of the benefits of an MBA, the networking.

Most MBA applications have a question to the sort of "if we let you into the program, what kind of value can you provide to the class of 202X?" Basically, admissions is screening applicants so that the MBA experience will provide serendipity for people to meet each other, brainstorm ideas, and create new things or open people to new experiences.

If you don't have the GPA for that, you can't get in. So, good for you

2.9 but because i went to a college out of state.. it boosted my GPA to a 3.0 when the grading scales were translated over

The bet quote i ever told my parents: "What do grades really mean? "and i explained how kids are doing better in life with lower grades and how people were still slow, eventhough they could read every detail of a book

I was dead on with the philosophy. I ended up earning more 99% of my graduating class within 1 year of leaving high school & clipsed all my teachers, likely.

However, education is still important in hindsight. Financial literacy could be more focused on for kids like myself.

There's more value to education than just financial value. Learning another language really opened an additional world to me. Culture, arts, and social understanding were things that a liberal arts education gives, which is under-appreciated economically, but gives intangible benefits to one's life.

For example, if you know how to appreciate fine art, you'll get an enjoyment that the uncultivated individual will never know. Snobby, yes; but, hey, when you're rich, what else are you going to do?

 

[bernard]

To be fair, you don't need a high GPA or even an education to learn another language or appreciate art, history and culture.

Unlike say accounting, liberal arts, is actually something you'd want to study in your free time and you absolutely can. I suppose that would be more of a "classical education" though, as I suppose a lot of liberal arts education today is of the post-modern and progressive kind, which to me isn't that pleasurable or snobby.

 

[eliquid]

It's important if you want to go to a top MBA school, where GPA matters. There, you can network with other people, who are also top of their class.

That's actually one of the benefits of an MBA, the networking.

Most MBA applications have a question to the sort of "if we let you into the program, what kind of value can you provide to the class of 202X?" Basically, admissions is screening applicants so that the MBA experience will provide serendipity for people to meet each other, brainstorm ideas, and create new things or open people to new experiences.

If you don't have the GPA for that, you can't get in. So, good for you

As someone that does higher ed lead gen, I can tell you everyone and their brother has a MBA.

I know you prob mean top MBA schools in this matter, but I just wanted to point out an MBA today is like what being a real estate agent a few years ago. Severely over saturated in general.

For example, if you know how to appreciate fine art, you'll get an enjoyment that the uncultivated individual will never know. Snobby, yes; but, hey, when you're rich, what else are you going to do?

What if said uncultivated individual was richer than you? Who gets the last laugh?

 

[Philip J. Fry]

This was on the front page of reddit http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2020/04/011.html

Looks like my prep school experience was the norm, as schools were prioritizing test taking skills over personal growth, human relations, moral values, and multicultural awareness. Odd to even think that there's more to school than test taking TBH; but, yeah, they're right. School's about finding yourself, making friends, and learning about society at large too. Nice.

As someone that does higher ed lead gen, I can tell you everyone and their brother has a MBA.

I know you prob mean top MBA schools in this matter, but I just wanted to point out an MBA today is like what being a real estate agent a few years ago. Severely over saturated in general.

What if said uncultivated individual was richer than you? Who gets the last laugh?

I work with 2 Harvard MBAs and worked with a U of M MBA, which is considered a public ivy. So, yes, I know that some MBAs are just money making schemes whereas the top ones are better and it's not the piece of paper or what you learn but the connections you making during those 2 years.

As for whether or not an uncultivated but rich person can enjoy life more than a cultivate person but not as rich person, I'd really say it depends on what you want out of life and what you value. I can tell you one thing though, if I lose all my money, I can still enjoy myself

 

[GNews]

There's more value to education than just financial value. Learning another language really opened an additional world to me. Culture, arts, and social understanding were things that a liberal arts education gives, which is under-appreciated economically, but gives intangible benefits to one's life.

For example, if you know how to appreciate fine art, you'll get an enjoyment that the uncultivated individual will never know. Snobby, yes; but, hey, when you're rich, what else are you going to do?

I just dont care about the education system and image of 'grades.' The education, is a must.

I was captain of the academic team (2nd team) in the 10th grade because I loved competition and travel. The reward exchange was visible for my efforts. I love to 'top rank' when I can see the process of ranking happen & effect it with my immediate efforts. When I can't control outcome/system and a bunch of lying/political type human beings are controlling the outcome, I knew/felt my efforts really meant nothing in the end.

Adults in the education/school system do some much slimey shit, it's a shame.

 

[Ryuzaki]

In my mind, even with an "elite" degree under my belt, schooling is largely there to teach you how to learn. The real education starts after once you're done with mandatory learning. After that, if you're compelled to learn on your own, you will quickly learn more than 90% of your peers. If you're in this mind state and THEN go to college, you're going to have an absolute blast sucking up knowledge, assuming you choose a non-dunce major.

 

[bernard]

I think I'd have been better off with something more hands on and practical while studying theory only after the practical.

When I think back on those hours spent sitting listening to lectures, early in the morning, it couldn't be a worse way for me to learn.

 

[BCN]

C/D avg during high school. Mostly As in university (engineering) and A on my dissertation in uni.