IN DEFENSE OF AVERAGE COLLEGE GRADES
During a recent House debate, one Member made a statement that seemed to disparage college students who earn a C grade average. I have a problem with elitist attitudes.
Everybody isn’t a genius, and everyone isn’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There’s a respectable place in this world for students with average grades – just like there’s a respectable place for non-college folks, and trades people.
Some college students with average grades may, in fact, be doing exceptional work. Consider the student who carries a 16 or more units, works a full-time 8 hour job to support his wife and kids, and maintains a C average. In my book, that C student is hardly “average.” The toughest part of college is to persist until graduation. The grade for persistence is called a diploma. In the real academic world, the diploma is the grade that counts most.
Someday, I’d like to do a study that identifies C average students who have become quite successful. But we already know of some C average students who have done quite well in life: congratulations to George W. Bush, John Kerry, and Al Gore.
It’s a great accomplishment to complete college, whatever the grade point average. Anyone who achieves a degree is in no way average, regardless of college grades. Over a period of time I’ve listed my academic degrees on many different documents, but never once has anyone asked my grade point average. Having a college degree usually opens more doors to opportunity than grade averages.
The fact of the matter is, it’s the so-called “average people” who are indispensable to the good order of any society. God Bless them, one and all.
Everybody isn’t a genius, and everyone isn’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There’s a respectable place in this world for students with average grades – just like there’s a respectable place for non-college folks, and trades people.
Some college students with average grades may, in fact, be doing exceptional work. Consider the student who carries a 16 or more units, works a full-time 8 hour job to support his wife and kids, and maintains a C average. In my book, that C student is hardly “average.” The toughest part of college is to persist until graduation. The grade for persistence is called a diploma. In the real academic world, the diploma is the grade that counts most.
Someday, I’d like to do a study that identifies C average students who have become quite successful. But we already know of some C average students who have done quite well in life: congratulations to George W. Bush, John Kerry, and Al Gore.
It’s a great accomplishment to complete college, whatever the grade point average. Anyone who achieves a degree is in no way average, regardless of college grades. Over a period of time I’ve listed my academic degrees on many different documents, but never once has anyone asked my grade point average. Having a college degree usually opens more doors to opportunity than grade averages.
The fact of the matter is, it’s the so-called “average people” who are indispensable to the good order of any society. God Bless them, one and all.
posted by Blogs by Rep Bob Lynn | 5:05 PM
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