should we even care about grades?

[Godislove94]

This year and beyond, I would really like good grades in school because I haven't had them in a long time, but I'm afraid that by wanting good grades (just to have them and make the best of the education that I've been allowed to have) I'm living for this world and not building up treasure in heaven. It's very distressing because even though I study and do the homework and especially pray, my grades seem to get worse as the semester closes. Is God wanting to destroy my GPA?

 

[Sketcher]

When you work hard and do your best for your classes, that honors God. Professors and instructors don't respect slackers, so a slacker's witness to them will likely do more harm than good. You are also developing yourself, for the Kingdom's sake. Working to get good grades improves yourself as a person, developing discipline and faithfulness in addition to what you would get out of your classes. God is first, but God wants you to be the best student you can possibly be when you are in school.

 

[gerbilwoman]

I agree with Sketcher. The better you do in classes the more you can use that information to make the world a better place. The better your GPA the more opportunities you will be offered, giving you more opportunities to serve God in the future.

 

[Zoleee]

Actually, I am a maximalist in college, and I always try my best, and pray to God to help me at the exams. And when I get good grades I feel good too.

So I think yes, try your best!

 

[parsley]

I used to study details obsessively, and get frustrated that my grades didn't reflect my work. (I could have written pages beyond the multiple choice tests...lol).

Then a friend told me how they did well: before reading a textbook, they read the chapter headings. While reading, they memorized the chapter headings. They studied the overall structure more than the details.

That made no sense to me, how specific questions could end up with better results with a generalized understanding; but it worked. It depends on the teacher writing the test, of course. And the subject matter.

After you graduate, most employers will not look at your grades. They want to know if your skills and dedication will help advance their company. If you can keep your grades high enough that you don't need to repeat courses, then small differences will barely matter.

If you ever need to transfer schools, then you will need a C or better in each course that you want credit for. (Some departmental courses might require a B.)

The grade is the reflection of work completed, effort applied, and intent to learn. To some extent you have to play the game. If you just wanted to learn, you could skip college and live in the library. But you are paying good money for the credentials, so respect the credentials game enough to get your money's worth.

 

[blackribbon]

I am a nurse. If I did not get very high grades, I wouldn't have been allowed to continue(a 3.8 was the minimum grade point to get in...and two grades below a 80% would be a permanent dismissal once in) and I wouldn't be prepared to take care of patients. Do you really want to ride the elevator in a skyscraper designed by someone who didn't take his physics class seriously? My first degree is in engineering and I had a professor who would not give partial credit based on the hard to argue with explanation..."do you want to buy a "partial credit" car?".

It only become a problem if you think "you did it by yourself" and it wasn't through God and the support of others that you got the high grades. So pride would be the real issue, not the focus on high grades.

 

[parsley]

Yes, sorry to omit that from my previous post! I do heartily believe in using the time at school to invest in your own learning. There are different angles to the question: God's stance, being able to survive the experience, fear of parents and others' feedback, trying to work to pay for school at the same time. There are times it's impossible to do things as perfectly as we'd like.

But yes, school is not just a time to get by under others' criteria, but a time to invest in your own foundations.

 

[yesyoushould]

College is a "for profit" business.

 

[parsley]

That's true, but so is a self-defense workshop or a barbershop. When you need what they can offer, it is not wrong to pay for goods and services.

 

[blackribbon]

not all colleges are "for profit"....I have only gone to state schools as an "in state" or "in district" student, I know I haven't paid full price for my education

 

[bhayes]

This year and beyond, I would really like good grades in school because I haven't had them in a long time, but I'm afraid that by wanting good grades (just to have them and make the best of the education that I've been allowed to have) I'm living for this world and not building up treasure in heaven. It's very distressing because even though I study and do the homework and especially pray, my grades seem to get worse as the semester closes. Is God wanting to destroy my GPA?

That is a lie from Satan. You are to do everything for the glory of God. Colossians 3:23: And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

[parsley]

Is God wanting to destroy my GPA?

Most of us need to admit that we are not at the top of the hill, even if we were in high school. There are geniuses out there who will blow us away. That doesn't make us any less, in God's eyes or in the scheme of life.

One person might be gifted in sports and have less time to study; or be able to take on high-energy jobs while in school; or counsel troubled friends; or pick up information from other departments while studying their own discipline. We spread out our learning and abilities.

God's standard is not the GPA. He allows the GPA to be used to motivate students, and support employers' decisions. But we are not life failures if the points don't add up to 100. We work on the GPA and hope that it will give others a good gauge of what they can expect from us.

 

[seashale76]

God has nothing to do with your poor GPA. Your lack of study skills and effort has to do with your poor GPA. That sounds harsh, but it is the truth. Yes, you should care about your grades if you don't want to be on academic probation, graduate, or potentially go for a graduate degree (as they do look at your undergraduate GPA).