Don't fuck up your college GPA

[MarketGarden]

When you are in college, you should smoke weed, drink, have sex, whatever. But don't fuck up that GPA. My cousin graduated from UCLA December last year. UCLA ain't Ivy League or top public school, but it is generally regarded as a good college.

His grades were mediocre. GPA 2.6

He applied to many jobs, but had difficulties getting interview because corporations nowadays have raised hiring standards. Asking for B average 3.0 for college grads with no experience.

He will never be accepted to medical school or law school because of his low college GPA.

He will never be accepted to any PhD programs due to poor college grades.

He can't even get into MBA program in the bottom tier universities! Seems like all graduate divisions insist on 3.0, even if the business department have no issues with applicants below that magic number.

So he can't get a decent job, and he can't advance further in higher education. All because of that low GPA.

So what's left? The military is always an option. My cousin applied to Officer Candidate School, hoping to become an Air Force officer. Guess what?! The Air Force wants to see good GPA too!!!

He is crestfallen now. Out of $ and out of confidence, he is now just sitting out of the recession. I mean, he is now working 35 hours StarBucks. (Yes, Starbucks wants good gpa for their manager candidates. He tried) But shit, he absolutely feels he is wasting life.
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Tania_Tapia cam

[Hirohito]

owned

[uBeR]

What major is he, first of all. Let's also consider we're currently in a deep recession, where not only a lack of hiring is prevalent but mass layoffs are as well. If anyone is interested in getting employed, whether a UCLA graduate or not, it's important to distinguish yourself from your peers. If your cousin wasn't involved in anything other than just attending classes and maybe having a job at the same time, it really isn't showing a lot of distinction. Add that to a C grade point average and you're not likely to find a very promising job in this economy. There could be other issues at play, too, like a lack of work experience, a criminal record, a bad resume, or poor interviewing skills. Generally, you would be able to get a decent job or go onto higher education if you showed you put effort into what you did and involved yourself in non-curricular activities, even with an average GPA. With the recession, though, you really need to put a lot more effort into things, even if it means partying a little bit less to earn some better grades.

[Mooga]

No offense, but 2.6 is a low GPA. That is a C average. That means that your cousin got mostly Cs and Bs. That means that he probably didn't care or learn much. As you said, there is more to college then parties. Even with straight Bs your GPA will be in the 3.0 range. Getting a C average is just scraping by, by most standards.

However, you are wrong to say there are no options. Going back to school is technically another option. You can start all over on a fresh pallet as an adult student. Go to a community college for a two year program. Given that he has a good high school GPA, I beleve you can start over using that to get back into school.

[uBeR]

Wait, are you suggesting a UCLA graduate go to a junior college?

[Bridget]

The only thing I learned in school is that school is fucking useless.

[battery]

I am sorry to hear that. It is likely that your cousin won't be able to earn a higher degree due to his poor academic history. As far as I know, graduate schools and professional schools are very sensitive to college grades. Nothing serves as better indicator for scholastic abilities than four whole years worth of grades. It does not matter which school one applies to. America, Europe, Asia. They all loooooooook at college grades AND the reputation of the college. It is fair to say that the road to becoming researchers, medical doctors, lawyers and army generals begin at high school. One needs to get into a prestigious college and graduate top of the class, in order to earn an opportunity. Parents aren't stupid for spend thousands to help their kids get into top college.

I don't recommend your cousin to pursue academic route any longer. His college GPA is just gonna make everything difficult if not impossible, even if he gets great employment history and community services.

If I were him, I will focus on building a career by climbing the corporate ladder. It is very typical for a college grad to become managers and directors (a.k.a. first-class workers) by work ethics alone. Education background usually confer no advantage or disadvantage at the lower-management level. To get into middle and upper manager, though, requires a degree from a prestigious college (which your cousin has), and a lot of ass kissing.

Or perhaps consider the small-business or investment route.

I would tell your cousin to erase his GPA from his resume. GPA 2.6 reads "Reject Pile" in the eyes of human resources. No one is gonna take a chance with a 2.6 candidate when there are plenty of 3.5 around. Just don't mention it til interview time.
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HANDJOB WIFE

[KubeDawg]

I've been considering going back to school for a while now, and the more time that passes, it feels like I'm losing grip on things. School in this day and age is definitely still important. And if you don't have schooling, you better be damn good at what you do or have some killer work experience to back yourself up.

He could always go back and retake the classes he did shitty in. Yeah, that'd cost a lot more money, but it'd probably be worth it in the long run, and with already having learned parts of the subjects, that'd make it easier to pass the class. That sucks though. Sorry to hear about that.

[Anthraxium[WU]]

First off, UCLA is a top tier school. I don't know who told you otherwise... I go to UCSD and its the 7th top public school in the nation. UCLA didn't accept me, so...

Yeah 2.6 is low and he should have been in an internship but he still has a BA/BS from UCLA.

My guess is that he can't get a job because he chose a particular major that put him in the situation. That or some of the stuff uBeR suggested. Also is he applying for the right kind of job? Certain jobs won't even consider you if you don't have a masters degree, like a lot of psychology majors tend to find out after graduation.

[uBeR]

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well. UCLA is a highly regarded school. It's definitely one of the best public universities on the west coast, if not the best.

[Crazycarl]

If a place is getting large numbers of resumes they will use any criteria they can to thin them out. The rate of unemployment really worsens this. A typo could cause your resume to go in the trash.

Many people still believe the old myth that a college degree is a ticket to success. It's not. It's just a tool among many. Anything he can do that's relevant to his desired career that will distinguish him from his peers will help. Volunteer work, self-employment, competitions, and independant study are all things that he can put on his resume to distract from that GPA. If Starbucks is paying his bills for now, he's in a good position to pursue that.

[Rutabeggar]

Graduating from college is a very very admirable thing. It's unfortunate that your cousin has a lower GPA than most places would like to see. I screwed around my freshman year of school, and consequently started off with a low GPA. I've been able to work hard and pull it up to a 3.1, but it certainly isn't easy. Your cousin has a few options. He should remember that simply because he has a low GPA doesn't mean he isn't qualified. He has to let the company interviewing him know that he is the ONLY person who can do the job. Interviewing skills are very important, especially when other areas of your resume may leave employers wanting more. My dad didn't go to college, but he has certifications out the ass and has managed to work in to a position as a Network Manager making a fairly decent salary. Not all hope is lost.

[BinaryLife]

GPA and grades do not reflect how much you've learned. They come close to reflecting how hard you work, but some of us get a's without trying very hard so not really even that. I wouldn't blame your cousin at all. I would blame the system. However, during these economic times this sort of thing is common. There are so many people looking for jobs that companies have their pick and they can choose whomever they want with very little monetary strain.

I have my own problem with colleges but this isn't directly their fault either. It's the shitty way of the world right now. A lot of people I know have college degrees and are working retail. It sucks. Hopefully it will turn around soon. But he should be happy he has both a job and an education. It will eventually pay off. Just not when he'd like I'm sure.

[CatzEyes93]

Originally Posted by uBeR

What major is he, first of all. Let's also consider we're currently in a deep recession, where not only a lack of hiring is prevalent but mass layoffs are as well. If anyone is interested in getting employed, whether a UCLA graduate or not, it's important to distinguish yourself from your peers. If your cousin wasn't involved in anything other than just attending classes and maybe having a job at the same time, it really isn't showing a lot of distinction. Add that to a C grade point average and you're not likely to find a very promising job in this economy. There could be other issues at play, too, like a lack of work experience, a criminal record, a bad resume, or poor interviewing skills. Generally, you would be able to get a decent job or go onto higher education if you showed you put effort into what you did and involved yourself in non-curricular activities, even with an average GPA. With the recession, though, you really need to put a lot more effort into things, even if it means partying a little bit less to earn some better grades.

qft.


I have been out of a job since last november and have had a dickens of a time getting my foot in the door. I dont have a college degree and suspect it may be the reason no one takes me beyond the phone screen. But like ^ said, many factors are in play and if you do not meet every one of them, you could be SOL.

Tell your friend that he can at least be happy that he is not struggling to pay a mortgage and support a family on his starbucks salary.

I used to be a Software Implementation and Training Manager, but Starbucks may be in my future if I dont get something quick.

[s0undch4s3r]

I don't see many high school kids working at the supermarket much at night. mostly adults that are desperate to make ends meet. Same thing at fast food places.

The recession is here to stay for a little while.

[!nF3D4L]

Originally Posted by s0undch4s3r

I don't see many high school kids working at the supermarket much at night. mostly adults that are desperate to make ends meet. Same thing at fast food places.

The recession is here to stay for a little while.

hence why high school kids or recent high school grad (me) have a hard time finding a job, then throw yourself in a situation when one of the two biggest employers closes its doors and lays off hundreds of people, the employers hire the laid of out of worker adults, then the college kids, then finally whens there is very few jobs left they will give those to the high school kids. Well, I have had an ass of a time trying get a job for the past 2 years, no success. So I can barely afford to apply to college (it costs like 100 bucks to apply) let alone go through 4 years of it while living by myself or in rez (rez is close to 9 grand). Anyways just my rant...

[Mooga]

There is a reason why I never got ride of my highschool job....

[uBeR]

Originally Posted by Mooga

There is a reason why I never got ride of my highschool job....

It shows.

[Mooga]

Hey! I'm really go with flirting with old ladies...

[uBeR]

The ugly ones anyway.