Each day, I spend some time worrying about the gpa-contingent job offer . . .
Am I capable of earning a 3.5+ GPA during a 17 credit hour semester?Can I get an A in a class with a disproportionate number of TLR folks?
Does my work on problem sets demonstrate a thorough understanding of the material?
Was the paper I wrote coherent and well argued?
Am I preparing properly for midterms and finals?
I haven’t cared about grades like this since I was in high school. When I was in college, I prized holistic learning over grades. When I started my grad program, some big, ugly, real-life issues kept me from putting too much emphasis on grades. To be frank, it was almost as if I couldn’t be bothered to try. Instead, I largely relied on what I had learned in my paralegal certificate program and I got by with As and Bs. By 2L year I had found an intellectual spark, but I wasn’t interested in jumping through the hoops just for the sake of guaranteeing an A. So here I am, actually trying for the first time in a very long time and fretting over whether I can guarantee myself As through hard work, as opposed to good fortune. (I don’t expect you to feel sorry for me, this has been a long time coming and I’m lucky to have any semblance of a job offer on the table in this market.)
This anxiety has been a good thing. As a result, I’m taking my coursework seriously. I’ve gone to office hours (what!?! I know, it’s crazy). I’ve even kicked my procrastination habit (for now, at least). There are a number of benefits to this new discipline, but the icing on the cake is an ability to truly enjoy myself when I do take the time “off” to exercise or do something fun.
Today, I received the first significant indication that I am on the right track. I did very well on my first exam of the semester, which I take as a sign that my study strategy (for this particular class) is working. I am encouraged to sustain the effort.
Now, I know that some of y’all in the blogosphere are categorically opposed to any discussion of grades. So I apologize in advance. I want y’all to know I’m not talking about grades to boast. I’m writing because I want to document the challenges of trying to exceed the GPA threshold that my prospective employer has imposed. I figure that I’m more likely to fail than I am to succeed. And if I fail, I will lose my job offer. Can I do well, as in 3.5+ across-both-my-business-and-law-school-classes-well, when applying myself in earnest or will the pressure be too much? We’re about to find out.
Read the full article: Progress