Comments on: The Unconventional Scholar: Ignore Your GPA http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/ Demystifying Student Success Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:36:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Monday Master Class: The Study Hacks Guide to Exams http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-5559 Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Monday Master Class: The Study Hacks Guide to Exams Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:44:36 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-5559 [...] Ignore Your G.P.A. This Unconventional Scholar essay tackles the larger question of what significance exam performance should play in your life. It’s core message: ignore your cumulative G.P.A. Instead, view each courses as an individual challenge to come up with the most efficient possible method for learning the material. Sometimes you’ll screw up the actual exam. That’s okay. Believe in your strategies and keep improving; it’ll save you a fortune on ulcer medication. [...] […] Ignore Your G.P.A. This Unconventional Scholar essay tackles the larger question of what significance exam performance should play in your life. It’s core message: ignore your cumulative G.P.A. Instead, view each courses as an individual challenge to come up with the most efficient possible method for learning the material. Sometimes you’ll screw up the actual exam. That’s okay. Believe in your strategies and keep improving; it’ll save you a fortune on ulcer medication. […]

]]> By: Kabir http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-4422 Kabir Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:56:10 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-4422 How could you know where you stand as far as academic success without looking at the results? A bit hard for me to swallow that over achievers don't bother looking at their GPA. Not even once just to for the sake of it? I understand your life shouldn't revolve around it...probably going to take some time for this to digest since it's my first year in University. How could you know where you stand as far as academic success without looking at the results? A bit hard for me to swallow that over achievers don’t bother looking at their GPA. Not even once just to for the sake of it? I understand your life shouldn’t revolve around it…probably going to take some time for this to digest since it’s my first year in University.

]]> By: Study Hacks » Blog Archive » 25 Articles Every Student Should Read http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-1654 Study Hacks » Blog Archive » 25 Articles Every Student Should Read Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:20:00 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-1654 [...] The Unconventional Scholar: Ignore Your GPA | Study Hacks [...] […] The Unconventional Scholar: Ignore Your GPA | Study Hacks […]

]]> By: rikkoo http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-940 rikkoo Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:02:53 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-940 I really wish I can ignore it, but this is only possible for smart students. I give in the effort, but because of the circumstances or whatever, my GPA is below the school's satisfactory. They outlined it right in there catalog that thou shall not get below this or else they kick you out. With that kind of pressure, you have to be GPA obsessive. I really wish I can ignore it, but this is only possible for smart students. I give in the effort, but because of the circumstances or whatever, my GPA is below the school’s satisfactory. They outlined it right in there catalog that thou shall not get below this or else they kick you out. With that kind of pressure, you have to be GPA obsessive.

]]> By: Link Friday - November 16, 2007 | studenthacks.org http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-919 Link Friday - November 16, 2007 | studenthacks.org Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:05:59 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-919 [...] Why You Should Ignore Your GPA Cal Newport writes a compelling article on why you shouldn’t focus on your GPA. He says its most important to focus on your performance while in school. Some great advice! [...] […] Why You Should Ignore Your GPA Cal Newport writes a compelling article on why you shouldn’t focus on your GPA. He says its most important to focus on your performance while in school. Some great advice! […]

]]> By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-901 Study Hacks Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:26:29 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-901 <p>Ilham,</p> <p>If the professor provides Power Point slides, don't print the slides, instead, keep them open on your laptop and annotate them using the notes window in Power Point. For Word Docs, similar annotation tricks work better than printing. (As you know, I'm not a big fan of hand writing notes.)</p> <p>You're not the first to ask about this. I'm planning on doing a MMC on the topic next Monday. Stay tuned...</p> <p>-Cal</p> Ilham,

If the professor provides Power Point slides, don’t print the slides, instead, keep them open on your laptop and annotate them using the notes window in Power Point. For Word Docs, similar annotation tricks work better than printing. (As you know, I’m not a big fan of hand writing notes.)

You’re not the first to ask about this. I’m planning on doing a MMC on the topic next Monday. Stay tuned…

-Cal

]]> By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-900 Study Hacks Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:24:36 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-900 <p>Thank you Dustin.</p> <p>In researching Straight-A, I talked with around 50 straight-A students. I would estimate that a significant majority were process-focused. Interestingly, the students who obsess over grade tactics -- getting the professor to like you, dropping courses before they impact the GPA -- tend not to be in the upper echelon of scorers.</p> <p>- Cal</p> Thank you Dustin.

In researching Straight-A, I talked with around 50 straight-A students. I would estimate that a significant majority were process-focused. Interestingly, the students who obsess over grade tactics — getting the professor to like you, dropping courses before they impact the GPA — tend not to be in the upper echelon of scorers.

- Cal

]]> By: Ilham http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-883 Ilham Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:36:21 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-883 Cal, sorry to post again but I forgot to ask you in my previous post on what you noticed among straight-A students during lecture note-taking. Did any of them recommend printing out the lecture slides (if professor supplies) and then taking notes on these slides or did they all just take very effective notes during lecture? Thanks for the insight. Cal, sorry to post again but I forgot to ask you in my previous post on what you noticed among straight-A students during lecture note-taking. Did any of them recommend printing out the lecture slides (if professor supplies) and then taking notes on these slides or did they all just take very effective notes during lecture?

Thanks for the insight.

]]> By: Ilham http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-882 Ilham Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:11:43 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-882 great article Cal, I just actually finished reading your second book (planning on getting the first one which I have not read yet), but this article just placed the cream on top of the writing from your straight-A book. great article Cal, I just actually finished reading your second book (planning on getting the first one which I have not read yet), but this article just placed the cream on top of the writing from your straight-A book.

]]> By: Dustin http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-877 Dustin Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:11:07 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/11/14/the-unconventional-scholar-ignore-your-gpa/#comment-877 Oh, bless you for this! As a professor, my least favorite thing is grading, not because it's all that hard but because I know that for so many students it's the only measure of value they care about. It's so depressing. Listen: grades are bunk! They are, at best, a measure of how approximately your understanding of the material matches a professor's or book author's conception of what your understanding should be. Good grades tend to flow naturally from understanding and effort; it doesn't happen the other way around though (that is, understanding doesn't flow from good grades). I was lucky enough to finish my undergraduate education at a school that didn't give grades, only narrative evaluations (UC Santa Cruz). I recently came across my 12-year old transcript, and could vividly remember each class and my work in each class based on the descriptions -- and found it was still a useful document, in a way that a list of A s and B's could never be. If only we could adopt that standard throughout higher education... Oh, bless you for this! As a professor, my least favorite thing is grading, not because it’s all that hard but because I know that for so many students it’s the only measure of value they care about. It’s so depressing. Listen: grades are bunk! They are, at best, a measure of how approximately your understanding of the material matches a professor’s or book author’s conception of what your understanding should be. Good grades tend to flow naturally from understanding and effort; it doesn’t happen the other way around though (that is, understanding doesn’t flow from good grades).

I was lucky enough to finish my undergraduate education at a school that didn’t give grades, only narrative evaluations (UC Santa Cruz). I recently came across my 12-year old transcript, and could vividly remember each class and my work in each class based on the descriptions — and found it was still a useful document, in a way that a list of A
s and B’s could never be. If only we could adopt that standard throughout higher education…

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