Why settle for a 'C'?

"It pays to get A's, but C's get degrees."  Many college students have probably heard this phrase echoed across their college campus.  The phrase gives the impression that it doesn't really matter if a student gets A's because C's will get them out of college just as well. 

The phrase is more than likely creeping into the minds of college students at the University of Northern Iowa during these last few weeks of school.  With the sun shining, flowers blooming and the thought of a summer filled with freedom, some college students may have it in their mind that a C is good enough. 

But our question to these students is this: Why settle?

Sure getting C's will get a student their diploma, but is that really the kind of attitude they should have the rest of their life?  Do they really want to look back at their college career knowing they could have done better? 

Students come to college to get an education, and if they don't give it their all, then what's the point?  Students pay good money to take classes, so why not study hard and learn something?  Seeing people do less than their best is a painful sight to see.  Students should push themselves to see what they can really do.  It can give them a feeling of self accomplishment.

But besides the emotional and personal side of getting good grades, there comes the practical side.  Having good grades will help students get into grad school and find better jobs.

A low GPA could stop them from getting into their dream grad school programs. For example, students need a 3.8 to get into Harvard medical school and a 3.6 to get into the Stanford business school.  Of course, not all students will shoot that high, but it leaves the option open. A student may not want to go to graduate school now, but what if they want to in the future?
But besides applying for grad school, a good GPA may help students land a job. With the job market in a dire state, it is becoming more and more competitive to find a job.

Many employers have a cutoff GPA for hiring — usually a 3.0.  According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, "more employers are screening candidates for GPA than at any other time over the past five years.  Currently, nearly three out of four say they screen for GPA, according to responses to the Job Outlook 2010 survey." 

Students do have the option of leaving their GPA off their resume, but this might not always help.  According to Laura Morsch, a writer for CareerBuilder.com, "although employers may not automatically cut you for your low grades, leaving your GPA off of your resume completely may do you more harm than good.  If you're a new grad and omit your GPA from your resume, you might find employers warily wondering how terrible your grades really are."

But if a student is really struggling to keep up their GPA, there is hope.  Employers look at other factors when assessing a possible employee. 

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, they also look at a student's major, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and school attended.  So if your GPA isn't perfect, don't panic.  Not everyone's GPA is going to be great, but everyone should at least try their best. A good GPA mixed with the factors listed above could make your resume stand out from the rest of the crowd.

So our challenge to students the rest of the semester is this: study hard these last few weeks. Boost that GPA. Don't settle for a C. Make yourself stand out to future employers. We know you can do it.