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Importance of GPA - toddsbiyj - 02-23-2011
Ok, I know this may sound dumb and all but how truly important is your GPA, if you are not planning on going further than a Bachelors degree.
I guess what I am asking, generally speaking does an employer care if you were a 2.0 or 4.0 GPA, especially if you have real-life experience, etc? I seem to think tist is more of a trivial thing rather than something that is terribly important, especially if you are just getting a basic, general degree like liberal arts, etc. Maybe just another extra feather in your cap sort of thing.
Not trying to down play the importance of truly understanding the material, spending quality time syudying, etc or ecelling at your education because you simply want for your own personal reasons. Of course those going for further education, well thats a different subject all together.
I'm, just curious what the concensus is on this topic. Thoughts and opinions - PLEASE???
Importance of GPA - grauwulf - 02-23-2011
two points that I'm sure you'll find in other posts as well:
1) GPA doesn't mean anything if you've got 3+ years of relevant work experience. If you don't, then GPA can make a difference. Two resumes with no work experience. 1 has a 2.01GPA and one has a 3.85, who do you go with? *shrugs*
2) Grad school. If you want go to grad school the lowest accepted GPA I've seen, which required a waiver, (I'm researching grad school now) is 2.8 & most are 3.0 or 3.2
If you have work experience already and you have no intention of grad school ... college is an end sum pass/fail system. 2.01 will get you your degree.
Importance of GPA - MA2 - 02-24-2011
In this economy you're asking if getting an "A" is better than getting a "D" ???
.......
Importance of GPA - cookderosa - 02-24-2011
toddsbiyj Wrote:Ok, I know this may sound dumb and all but how truly important is your GPA, if you are not planning on going further than a Bachelors degree.
I guess what I am asking, generally speaking does an employer care if you were a 2.0 or 4.0 GPA, especially if you have real-life experience, etc? I seem to think tist is more of a trivial thing rather than something that is terribly important, especially if you are just getting a basic, general degree like liberal arts, etc. Maybe just another extra feather in your cap sort of thing.
Not trying to down play the importance of truly understanding the material, spending quality time syudying, etc or ecelling at your education because you simply want for your own personal reasons. Of course those going for further education, well thats a different subject all together.
I'm, just curious what the concensus is on this topic. Thoughts and opinions - PLEASE???
I'm 40, working since age 16. No one has asked me what my GPA is in a work setting- not high school or college. But, all my grad school applications asked. So, never say never. Grad school might sound fun in 15 years.
Seriously, do whatever you need to do to get the degree. IF you can get out with a 2.0, take it and run. Just understand. You can NEVER repair it. NEVER. If you have 120 credits with a 2.0, it will take an ADDITIONAL 120 new credits at a PERFECT 4.0 just to bring your cumulative GPA up to a 3.0
It would take an ADDITIONAL 350 new credits at a PERFECT 4.0 to bring your cumulative GPA up to 3.5
Just food for thought.
Importance of GPA - toddsbiyj - 02-24-2011
Thanks for the input guys.
I'm 39 and have the relevant life and work experience (20 years in one profession and 11 in another) so that is not an issue. I pretty much thought I knew the answer but wanted to get a little input and make sure I wasn't missing anything.
@ cook & grau - Good point. I seriously doubt I will ever go past a Bachelors, or possibly a second Bachelors for that matter, but definitely something to keep in mind.
Thanks
Importance of GPA - mishmash1 - 02-24-2011
interesting stuff.. i'm new here .. what happens if you have 60 credits from 12-13 years ago with a very low gpa (2.0ish)...and you decide to test out of the remainder of your credits? do you get graded on cleps/dsst etc? i thought it was just pass/fail ?? or am i really lost :confused:
Importance of GPA - P00057870 - 02-24-2011
A little more input from one of the geezers on here. As someone who will be turning 60 over the summer, let me add that life can throw you some really unexpected situations, so do your best. Like you, at about 40 had only 2 careers and never had a problem getting a good paying position. That changed in a heart beat. Add to that, many occupations are just disappearing in this higher technology world you all are living in, even more so than I am. Jobs actually can get harder to find as you age, and sometimes your plans to be in a good position and thinking you will be retired by now can go up in a puff of smoke. You, or your spouse or a child, can get ill unexpectedly; a child can get in legal trouble or need other economic help, and all you have worked for can disappear quickly. The other situation can be that you just want to work longer.
In this economy, it is necessary to be ready to prove you are not afraid of working and retraining for a new occupation when ready.
This is not to get negative, just to say it is important to do your best, whatever that is, so that you have options still available to you if and when you need them. Another thought, as many of us get older, we have much to share with the next generation, so decide to go into a career in educating them in the field you excel in - whether in the more conventional educational structure or a private system - those employers definitely want to see your GPA. In fact, you will need to provide them with your transcripts.
Importance of GPA - cookderosa - 02-24-2011
mishmash1 Wrote:interesting stuff.. i'm new here .. what happens if you have 60 credits from 12-13 years ago with a very low gpa (2.0ish)...and you decide to test out of the remainder of your credits? do you get graded on cleps/dsst etc? i thought it was just pass/fail ?? or am i really lost :confused:
Tests (and several other pass/fail sources) do not change your GPA. So, if you don't ADD ANYTHING to the GPA, it remains unchanged. Tests do NOT help GPA repair - if repair is your goal. Only graded classes repair a GPA. You just have to decide if that's what you want to do.
If it were me, I'd walk away from that transcript never to visit it again. I'd start fresh. (that doesn't mean that your past is erased, there are some situations that require you to disclose a prior transcript- but that's for another day) So- either redo the 60ish credits at a new school (TESC) which would take about 3-6 months and about $1400, or take classes and add them to your existing credit which will take about 2 years and $6000-$13,000, perfect A grades only from here on out.
Importance of GPA - toddsbiyj - 02-24-2011
P00057870 - I do understand what you are talking about as I am more or less in that type of situation now. That is great advice and I am sure it is coming from someone that knows what they are talking about. Thanks.
This is good stuff. I love to hear what other people think.
Importance of GPA - jackzack87 - 02-24-2011
cookderosa Wrote:Seriously, do whatever you need to do to get the degree. IF you can get out with a 2.0, take it and run. Just understand. You can NEVER repair it. NEVER. If you have 120 credits with a 2.0, it will take an ADDITIONAL 120 new credits at a PERFECT 4.0 just to bring your cumulative GPA up to a 3.0
Just food for thought.
That's very important, and doing something that you won't get a chance to un-do has to be taken into consideration. Sure, a degree with 2.0 is better than no degree. But if a 3.0+ gets you the job, where 2.0 doesn't, you're in the same boat as you were pre-degree.
I think the marginal advantage of GPA lessens once you have 3.0. That's a respectable figure that will get you into most decent grad schools and something worth putting on a resume. With a 3.5 you'll have better chances still, and still better with 3.8 or whatever.