I've seen many reasons adduced by several individuals why grades do not matter or are less important in determining future successes. I do think the influence of grades has been understated.
No doubt, grades can be a poor way to determine someone's success or better still, measure an individual's self-worth.
Your success in life or otherwise may not be determined by how excellent your grades are. It probably isn't going to make you successful or unsuccessful.
However, grades are an instant image of you at any point in time. Grades are the foremost tools schools use to measure it's students abilities. This means it will give a huge initial judgement about you, which transcends beyond the academic environment.
If you think grades don't matter, ask that friend who missed that fully paid scholarship by graduating with a third class.
Grades matter if you desire to get that competitive job where employers look at CGPA.
As a fresh graduate, grades will matter until you get something more compelling to sell yourself.
If you desire career progression in the academics, bad grades will ground you.
It is a fact that majority of people with low grades are usually defaulters when it comes to self-discipline, hard work, diligence, and planning skill, to mention but a few. All of these failings might act in limiting the success of these individuals (with poor grades) after graduation.
Good grades give you a head start, and an added advantage going forward. The world is moving at a fast pace, too busy in most cases to give you an opportunity to disprove your poor grades. Therefore they go by the numbers (grades) in assessing you. You probably won't get a chance to prove your competence.
And yes, Not everyone will be an entrepreneur or succeed as one. Not everyone will have giraffe legs (know somebody that knows somebody in that establishment). Not everyone will/can work in the Nigerian civil service (where anything goes).
Haven stated that, here are 5 things that happen when you graduate with a low grade:
1. You close important doors: some doors when closed can never be opened again. How sad! Whatever opportunities, big or small, there are outside that door eludes you forever.
If you settled for less and got low grades due to laziness and nonchalant attitude towards book work, you effectively closed all doors requiring higher grades!
A graduate with a pass or a third class automatically rules him/herself out of certain job opportunities! I need not mention these jobs, you know them.
2. Fewer choices: this is similar to the above. You end up with less choice if you graduate with a poor CGPA. why? Windows are smaller than doors!
Less career advancement options, less job option, and less pay. You'll have to settle for less.
3. Vices will appeal to you: I mean no disrespect to those with poor grades. However, social vices such as gambling, drunkenness, and others I choose not to mention will appeal to you. Anything just to dampen the disappointment of wasted years. However, it all ends in more disappointment for those not willing to get it right the right way.
4. Battered esteem: poor grades will batter your esteem. You will always avoid public discussions that will warrant a mention or display of your grade status either by you or others. Can you comfortably put your pass degree qualification on a CV? Never!
Deflated ego, inferiority, and other similar words will describe your situation.
Only a few (mentally strong) will refuse to be downcast and laid-back by letting grades get in their way to achieving success. The greater majority wallows in regret for years.
5. Delays in career progression: if you graduate with a third class, you'll need a PGD to move forward. If it's a pass, you're probably stuck/grounded. In the academics, grades are prioritised, and it'll remain so for a long time.
It is, therefore important that you begin to answer questions such as where you desire to be in the next five years, what steps to take to get there and what doors you need to go through. The earlier these questions are answered, the more doors you'll have access to, and go through.
To make it big, you either have to be the best at what you are doing (non academic activity) or follow the conventional easier path - good grades.
Choose the doors to open and don't let life choose for you because it might be a far cry from that which you desired.
Grades do matter a lot.
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