That time when I had a 1.85 GPA
by Addie Noyes
I’ve had both a very low and a very high GPA. My highest was a weighted 4.5-ish, 4.0 unweighted. My lowest was a 1.85, and on academic probation. I have been the bright kid that easily gets good grades and the mess of a student who can’t get higher than a C. Looking back, I am prouder of who I was when I had a 1.85 GPA.
Looking at GPA as a scientific measurement, it isn’t a useful metric. It doesn’t directly reflect anything about the types of challenges a student overcame. It doesn’t say much about a student’s work ethic; I've seen a lot of cheating go unrecognized. It doesn’t say anything about how many projects a student took a lead on, how many times they asked for help, how much they supported their peers.
Most of the 4.0 students I have encountered (including myself) have had one thing in common: they could afford to primarily think about school. Everyone has other things going on in their life, but the mental load of certain tasks is much greater than others.
If a student is going to a sports practice two hours per day every day, that is two hours of physical and mental time out of their day. When I was trying to figure out health issues early in college? It was taking up my mind hours and hours of all my days.
It was impossible to stop thinking about my upcoming Doctor’s appointments, and make sure I got enough sleep. Wait, did I take my meds this morning? Can I afford to say yes to that social event and be exhausted tomorrow? Do I need to work ahead now while I feel good in case I’m in pain later? What is wrong with me? Why does everything hurt?
Even when I wasn’t doing anything, my brain and body were still working on overdrive. It is nearly impossible to turn that off and take a breath. That rapidly leads to declining quality of work, especially during tasks that require deep focus.
It forced me multiple times to reflect: am I in school to learn or to get a good GPA?
I quickly figured out I was in school to learn. Doing something that you love and getting recognized for it is good. Doing something that you love, continuously failing, accepting it, and steadily improving is rare.
I continue to not get the best grades. I continue to be tempted by taking shortcuts but instead take pride in my not-always perfect work. If I am not stagnating and continuing to grow, I will stick with what I love and work hard, even when it sucks. I help my peers, I try to prioritize group work, I will always help someone who asks. My greatest accomplishment was being told by a professor that I was one of the kindest students he had taught.
Ultimately, GPA is a reflection of work ethic with all context stripped away. What people remember is how you support them, how genuine you are, and if you put effort and care into what you do.