Can you get straight A’s and be a campus butterfly?
I’m getting pressure on all sides to join a student organization. Why? Because it opens up doors. Most scholarships are for well-rounded students. Most employers want a well-rounded student. I was pressured to join clubs in high school and I thought that would stop once I got to college. I was wrong. Jon Morrow recently wrote a guest post, Why I regret getting straight A’s in college and Cal from Study Hacks wrote a rebuttal post, Why I Don’t Regret Getting Straight A’s in College. There’s an equal number of reasons for both sides of the argument, but my two cents is that well-rounded with good grades wins it all.
How do you get straight A’s and still be a campus butterfly? It’s hard work and impossible for some students. If studying is difficult for you, put more emphasis on school work. Some people can pull it off and those are the kids everyone loves to hate. But is it worth it? If you feel like you’re always preparing for the next step in your life, you’re actually hurting yourself. If you never have time to stop and enjoy yourself, you’re the busy squirrel always storing acorns, but never getting a chance to eat them, then you definitely should stop worrying so much and take a breather. Look at your life and see if that is really what you want.
Which student are you?
A’s without breaking a sweat
If you’re able to make A’s with little to no studying, try for a few student organizations that do community service and volunteer work. The extra activities will help fill up time and fill out your resume. Potential employers DO care about things other than your GPA. Your 4.0 may get you an interview, but if that’s all that sets you apart, you may not get the job.
B’s are no problem
This is the middle ground. If you’re the student who can walk in on test day and walk out with a B, not having studied the night before, then you definitely need some extra curriculars. Try joining a club that has a moderate level of outside work. A few hours a week to buff up your resume is worth it.
C’s are a struggle
Students that need to study all the time, just to ensure a B or a C need to find a group that will help them academically as well as round them out. Try the science, math or biology club. Academically-based organizations are often filled with top students who can help you out with tutoring, notes and studying.
All around tips
- Instead of joining the largest club, try for a smaller one that you can potentially become an officer in down the road
- Join an academic organization that will benefit your grades
- Try for a club that does community service, kill two birds with one stone
- Don’t join a club you’re going to hate – you can spend time with friends while filling up your resume
- Become an officer – especially if you don’t have that much extra to do
- Can’t find a club for you? Start your own. Seriously, it’s a win-win.
You’re completely right about starting your own club. Scholarship committees don’t want to see just participation (a lot of kids do that), they want to see passion and leadership. I won a scholarship in my sophomore year, and I think the strength I showed in the interview helped me stand out.
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i guess it depends on what your priorities are, really. if you naturally strive for greatness (ahah, that kinda sounded corny) in every aspect of life, then inevitably, you’ll find yourself pushing your limits and participating in both social and academic things. still, just drive itself doesnt make you excel, you gotta be able to cope and i guess, till you succeed or fail, then you’ll know. would you wanna go that far to see what the outcome will be? i mean, right now, you didnt really click with the idea of extra cirricular stuff in hs, the idea of joining them in college must be a bit.. bleh. but after all, hs is just hs, college however, is college.. D:
lol i think my point got lost in all that crap i wrote up there. anyway, i jst wanted to say dont stress yourself too much. good grades are definitely what you should focus on, then comes everything else despite how tempting straying for that may be. XD
ohh and loll, ya, i actually quit neo but then came back again over the summer hols. now im like addicted. XD ahah..
These are really great tips. Looks like it’s possible to combine being a good student with leading a rich social life. I guess not everybody can do it but I know many people who are really good at school and still are very popular with plenty of friends and plenty of free time to spend on partying.
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