By: Stephanie Grebe
Today, I was walking to class and I was shocked by a conversation going on behind me. Two girls were discussing how they were fine with getting a "D" in stats, because it isn't worth trying to do well on the final. One of them said, "When I interview for jobs, it isn't like the recruiter is going to care about me having a low GPA this one semester, I can explain that! I'd rather go to the cactus tonight!"
This really made me think. We spend all semester working hard, but for some reason when the sun comes out and the weeks wind down, students stop coming to class and putting in the extra effort. Are they burnt out? bored? or just lazy?
Many employers are now listing a minimum GPA requirement on applications, generally around 3.25. However, many may not even look at resumes that don't meet their bottom line. According to Yvonne Harvey Williams' presentation during Career Week, many employers aren't even considering candidates under 3.7 or 3.8. Why? Because with this economy they don't have to! Now, more than ever, entry level resumes need to be standing out amongst the hundreds of other applicants. A low GPA is not the way to win over a future employer.
My response to those girls is that, you may not get the opportunity to explain a low GPA to a recruiter if you get cut before the first interview. GPA reflects your work ethic, your academic strengths, and your ability to follow through. There are always classes and areas where a student will struggle academically, but that doesn't mean they should give up. There is one more week left in the semester before finals, and my advice to students is to finish strong. Don't let senioritis (or sophomoreitis or even freshmanitis) prevent you from potentially getting the job you've worked so hard for.
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