When I graduated from high school, I decided to enjoy all that college had to offer. I have had a lot of fun and have almost been kicked out of a state school for having a low GPA while taking lower division electives. I have also made the Dean’s List while taking 18 units of upper division classes. The fact is however, I am a very different person compared to who I was when I entered college.
In the past my grades were never something I took seriously. This is no longer the case, nor has it been for the past few years. However, when I graduate my GPA will reflect the unconcerned attitude I had in my youth. Even though all of those courses were taken years ago, and most of them had nothing to do with my major, they still affect the way my diploma will read.
This way of accumulating GPAs separates those who did well all the way through school from those who took a long time to pull it together. It doesn’t reflect how people, like myself, have changed. To go from not being able to maintain a 2.0 GPA to holding well over a 3.5 shows a huge change. This is why many schools, including graduate programs, are starting to look at the past half units and not the entire college career when accumulating GPAs. It can allow people like myself the chance to show that we have changed. This also shows a better depiction of how well you did in your actual major.
All this being said, our campus takes a cumulative approach, so there is no chance of someone who goofed off as a freshman graduating with honors even though in the past 60 units they may have maintained over a 3.7 GPA. This makes it very difficult to want to try for the Dean’s List again. It appears there is no real reason to completely strain ones self to maintain good grades when they won’t affect anything.