Six things that could ruin a 4.0

Shooting for that perfect score?

Education reporter Liz O’Neill lists several things to avoid if you don’t want to blow it. Here’s an abbreviated list:

Telling People You Have a 4.0 GPA: At every college, there’s always one professor who’s philosophically opposed to straight A’s.
Studying Abroad: If you’re a 4.0 candidate who’s determined to study abroad, go someplace English-speaking, so you’ll at least be aware of the absent-minded fluff you’re handing in to your host lecturers.
Taking a “Blow-Off” Class Those so-called “easy A’s” are false advertising. They’re more often easy A minuses and B pluses.
Choosing Brainy Roommates Living with the best of the best only breeds nervous breakdowns.
DVR Technology Do you record more than 2 or 3 programs per day? Just say no.
Fatty Foods Some research suggests that high fat diets lead to slower cognition.

Read the whole article here.

About the blogger

Alex Friedrich

afriedrich@mpr.org

Alex Friedrich reports on higher education issues for MPR News. Among the stories he has covered: the fall of the Berlin Wall, aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, 2003 Moscow suicide bombing and 2004 presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s in European political economy from the London School of Economics.

Katie Zerwas

Studying abroad tops the list of the best experiences of my life. Discouraging students from taking part in a study abroad program is shameful, especially to specifically discourage studying in non-English speaking countries. Not only is learning a foreign language essential for students to remain competitive in the increasingly global economy, but experiencing life in a totally different culture and feeling what it’s like to be an outsider is an incredibly valuable experience. And, there’s no reason not to get all A’s in your study abroad classes — I did. Also, the friendships I made in college with my “brainy” roommates has really paid off — why not make friends with the best and the brightest? They’re the ones who will be in a position to give you a hand in the future!
Anonymous

Katie, I agree. I also wonder how important it is to maintain that perfect 4.0 — especially if it limits your college experience. (And as you pointed out as well, I question whether some of the things mentioned would even be detrimental.)
Tom

As Mark Twain once said, “A 4.0 doesn’t always mean you got a good education.”
Caroline

Could this list be any more pretentious? Anyone who is having to wants to have a valuable college experience needs to know that a 4.0 means next to nothing. Having a 4.0 means you played by the books, followed the rules and excelled by the school’s standards. How about having a real experience, getting out in the community, going out of the country, skipping class from time to time, and basing your success on your own standards instead of an institution’s? And knowing that you can excel that way too? There is INFINITE VALUE in that.

Telling students to live with people that aren’t as smart as them is just sick and sad. If you’re the judging type, feel free to appraise a person’s worth based on their intelligence. I’ll never do that and I encourage other people not to either.

Studying abroad alleviates unconscious ethnocentricities that surround us in our daily lives (like, maybe the misconception that having a 4.0 makes you a better/ more complete person?)

This article is regurgitating nothing good. And anyone who follows it is just another cookie-cutter college grad=NO FUN and NO TANGIBLE SENSE OF HAVING LEARNED ANYTHING. The world doesn’t need any more of them.