From an early age we’re taught that getting good grades is about the most important thing you can do, and to be fair, when you’re ten you might as well get good SATs grades when the rest of your life involves drinking chocolate milk and watching TV. When you move onto GCSEs, AS and A Levels, the grades you get actually determine your future – what university or college you go to, and so on.
Getting to university
By the time you get to university, you’re well used to seeing your grade as the be-all and end-all. What’s more, this time you’re paying through the nose for it. So of course you should strive to do your best – you’ve come all this way, after all, and if you’re going to do something you should aim to do it well – but things don’t always work out. Maybe you realise too late that your course isn’t for you, circumstances make it difficult to achieve your best, or you just have bad luck in your exams.
Grades take the backseat
Take heart. Uni grades take a backseat in basically any interview for any job you’re ever going to have, unless it’s directly related to your proficiency in your subject – while your job might be in the same area, it’s not often your knowledge of Shakespeare is your most important asset, even in an English teaching job. What they care more about is the experience you’ve had around it and your capability.
Sure, a first looks good but it doesn’t tell a potential employer if you’re easy to get on with, enthusiastic, original, or in any way suited to the role. Lots of people have a degree – what practical things have you done that make you more experienced or interesting? I’ve been surprised (and sort of relieved) to see that most of my mates who sailed blithely through their courses while getting on with other stuff are happily in good jobs, while many super-achievers have nothing to sell themselves on.
Older qualifications
By the time you’ve graduated, GCSEs and even A Levels are almost irrelevant. Many job descriptions will ask for a minimum of ‘C’ in English and Maths, but if you’ve got those, they usually don’t want to know any further. The most any employer has said to me in an interview, on looking at my school grades, is a passing “okay”.
Get your foot in the door
Uni grades really matter the most if you are applying for postgraduate education, but even then, you can have a lower grade than some candidates but with a history of journal publication, conference attendance, or even just a stonkingly original proposal, and gain the upper hand. Some large companies, too, will disregard anyone with a certain degree classification just to cut down on the sheer volume of applications they have to sort through – and that sucks. In that case, yes, your grade will help you get your foot in the first door, but after that candidates with nothing but their grade to go on won’t fare so well.
So go forth. Do your best to make your gran proud with your grades. Then take a look around you and make sure you do something a little interesting with your life as well.
Do you think university grades really matter? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo: hull.university / Flickr
Would-be YA author, avid reader, employee of many places and part-time student. Looking to break into any career that doesn’t involve an office cubicle.
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