9 Things that Matter More than your GPA

In college your GPA is the determining factor for your performance at school. However, this is not the case in the real world and your GPA does not reflect how your work performance will be. First, spend time during college determining the best way that you retain information. Employees need to learn new things and you want to prove that you have retained the information. Another tip is to apply theory to real-life situations. The real world will constantly throw new situations so knowing how to adapt theory to practice is crucial. Just as students had to do when they first arrived at college, it is necessary to manage your time properly. A good way to get a job or move up in a company is to save and show your best work from college classes or internships. Keeping a portfolio is important because it is something employers will want to see and you will be able to show them some of the abilities you have. It is also important to take criticism and praise as well as hear and give feedback with colleagues. In addition, both writing and presentation skills will come in handy in the work force. Finally, get in the habit of meeting new people, nourishing relationships, and helping others by making introductions; doing this will allow you to build a great network.
I thought that the information presented in this article is both relevant and true. I believe that a person’s street smarts are much more important in life than book smarts. I am glad to see that people in the field are stating the importance of time management, writing and presentation skills, keeping a portfolio of your best work, and meeting new people and nourishing these relationships because these are all things we as students have had to learn and do during our college experience. While much of what we learn in classes will be useful for the future, it is the things we have done out of class that will help us to succeed in the future.


Johns, B. (2011, May 4). Students: The 9 things that matter more than GPA | Articles. PR Daily News: Public Relations News and Marketing in the Age of Social Media | Main. Retrieved May 04, 2011, from http://www.prdaily.com/mediarelations/Articles/8143.aspx