Learning from the Past

by Kelsey Rowlson

School.

Let’s face it, when we get out of bed in the morning we don’t SPRING out of bed and yell “School! YES!”  It’s more along the lines of rolling groggily out of bed and saying “School, shit.”  But this fact should not deter students that attend school from achieving their best once they get to school.

I came to Whatcom Community College as a high school senior.  I was tired of the high school scene so why not earn college credit for really cheap?  Well, I spent more of my senior year partying than I did studying and it truly reflects in my grades.  Three C+’s, two C-‘s, and an S.  Those were my grades that year.  I am not proud of them at all and they have messed up my GPA beyond reason.  I went from a 3.5 GPA high school student, to a 2.0 GPA college student.

What went wrong?  The crowd I fell into, the lack of motivation, you name it.  I just wasn’t into it.  I’d been a straight laced kid and wanted some adventure, I felt so grown up…even though when I look back on it, maybe I wasn’t as grown up as I thought.

Anyway, since graduating I gained some understanding of college life.  I didn’t really study, but I tried harder.  And fall quarter, after taking the summer off, I came back motivated and that began to reflect in my grades. 

Winter and spring quarter my work ethic and desire increased even more.  I pulled all A’s my Winter quarter and Spring quarter I received two A’s, a B+, and a B.  I was so proud of myself.  My GPA is now up to a 2.99, I’m coming back from my embarrassing start to college life. 

Your GPA is something that people; future schools and employers judge you on.  You don’t get a chance to explain away your bad GPA.  If they see a low number, you’re not going to be receiving a call from them saying that they want you.

It’s important, as we start a new school year, a new quarter, that we realize how lucky we are to even be going to college.  It means that we have drive and ambition and that we want to make something of ourselves.  So why let our grades slip once we decide we want to make something of ourselves?  We have to go for it and do our best, because a low GPA isn’t something that’s easily erased.

One thought on “Learning from the Past

  1. Many students don’t pay much attention to their GPA. Probably most of them just want to have a passing grade. In this case, their ability or talent may be confined.

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