Observations (Academics): Week 7

The main point of attending a post-secondary institute is to gain knowledge and an education. Many students aim to get a good GPA by the end of their college career in order to seek an efficient career in the future. Around the campus within the University of Minnesota, I see many students studying everywhere from libraries to cafeterias and even on buses. I also tend to see many students panicking at the moment of realization that a midterm is a couple days away or a paper is due the next day. I can understand why they panic, there are other priorities a college student has and it can distract one from planning ahead for exams or projects. However, there are also some students who focus more on their academics than other priorities. I asked a few of them about their campus lives and they all have the same philosophy that a good GPA will provide them with a high-paying career, or at least improve their chances. This is why they spend more time studying and doing homework rather than other activities or prorities. To my knowledge, I know for sure that in the STEM field, your GPA is only one of many factors in a resume when applying for internships or careers. I remember shadowing two engineers about a year ago who taught me that experience is more valuable than a high GPA. They told me that college was a “game” and the real learning comes from experience. One of the engineers shared his GPA of below 3.oo and also included the fact that he brought his own piece of work to an interview and was immediately hired. So is all that time spent reading books, taking notes, and studying a waste of time? Am I paying the University of Minnesota money to take classes that are invaluable to me in my future work field? Not entirely. There are students who just love to learn new things and there is some valuable material to learn from some classes that have nothing to do with your major. I believe this may be the reason why so many colleges have liberal arts requirements. One can learn new things from different classes that may have nothing to do with a future career. I personally value my education and crave a high GPA, but after learning the truth about how my GPA is only one of many factors on a resume, I am more aware that there is more to life than having book smarts.