College, grades & sucess

[LaughedAt]

Being a college student, I'm always reading blogs and websites about college, success in entrepreneurship and self-improvement!
So today I stumbled upon this article that talks about grades and success:
Your College is Not a Technical School | I Will Teach You To Be Rich
A very interesting article, and even more interesting comments from SlowLane people claiming that a person with 4.0 GPA is likely to be more successful at a job than a person with a 3.0, and also there's a comment from a self-proclaimed successful entrepreneur who prefers to hire people with a higher GPA.
I know this may sound very SLOWLANE, but I think this could turn into a very interesting discussion and I'd really like to hear comments from FastLaners and also fellow college students!

 

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[JesseO]

I know that lots of us are simply high school graduates with no or limited college courses. Technically, I never even graduated high school because I went to a private school for one year and had 3 different high schools where credits would not all be accepted. I did however get my GED/equivalency with honors. Don't let me brag too much though as I am just starting out in my real estate ventures. My main point would be that knowledge - whether it comes from a college class, seminar, or reading a few good books - will get you far if you take some action and get into the game. I can guarantee that if you specialize in something with health care, laws, or computers, you're probably going to make a pretty good wage at a j.o.b. Other than that, the possibilities are endless.

 

[Runum]

I finished my college degree in 2003 at the age of 43 and with a 3.8 GPA. I went for the purpose of getting a degree to teach school. I didn't even know about RDPD until the summer of 2004.

Looking back, I would change a few things. I would keep my GPA closer to 3.0 and not be so focused on grades. I would focus on learning and networking instead. I would work on my public speaking, learn how to develop rapport with all kinds of different people. I would cultivate phone numbers and email addresses. What ever skills I thought I would need after college, I would polish those during college.

 

[audman]

Many people I know in the area have had soso success after spending everything going for their degrees. Some did not even get into the field they put it all into. I am attending school mostly online but have focused on classes like accounting and marketing and other skill subjects that may impact me in anything I do whether on my own or in a business. I took public speaking to get more presentation skills. I am thinking of joining toastmasters to both network and practice presenting. I have to wait on my stabilizing job before i can schedule that. If we don't have a cash flow we would sink. So once we are I will be ramping up skill building and also just get out there and develop my ideas. I will be posting more about that in the near future.

 

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[Jill]

I've heard it said many times that the "A" students work for the "B" students at companies that are owned by the "C" students. I've seen this in the real world to an extent. I would agree that a college degree is a good thing to have because it shows you and others that you are capable of taking on a 4-year long project, with very little supervision, and completing the task while learning to balance your other life priorities. It is also - as Runum mentioned - a great time to grow your social skills as well as your network.

Good grades in school will help you get a better-paying job right out of school, or get you into a better graduate program, if that is your goal. But beyond that, grades aren't going to do much for you in the real world. (Pray my daughter isn't reading this!) Some careers require a significant amount of technical learning, such as medicine, engineering, etc. Most do not. My husband has several graduate degrees in computer science. He's a software project manager. My degree is in finance. I too am a software project manager.

If I were hiring an accountant, I would want an "A" student. If I were hiring a sales guy, I wouldn't care. Smarts are important, but I can personally attest that grades are not necessarily a reflection of one's IQ or street smarts. They indicate discipline, but rarely creativity or energy. So, I guess it all depends on the career choice. If you are trying to decide whether or not to focus on your grades, think of it this way: It can't hurt you to have good grades, as long as you don't sacrifice other personal development (the soft skills) along the way. But it CAN hurt you to have bad grades, if you're just getting started.

 

[JesseO]

Touching on something audman said, NONE of the college graduates I know are working in the feild they studied in. In fact, most work at regular retail jobs or in construction. I wouldn't like very much to study marine biology for 4 years and go work at Petsmart for $7/hour.

 

[hatterasguy]

When you are trying to put together deals, no one asks for your GPA and SAT scores.

IMHO unless you plan on going onto grad school, a C average will do. That way you can leave time to gain more valuable experiance through work and business ventures. As Trump said, its not what you do at school that matters, its what you do after school. IE as your friends are partying you are studying a business you like, or putting together a deal.

Having said that I know very successfull people that never graduated high school; and than some with Harvard MBA's.

IMHO a degree is a good plan B if you need a job for a bit, since your options will be much wider than without.

 

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