Is a 3.0 GPA a bad way to start off your first semester of college?

don't worry. You were ****ed from the beginning...

But seriously, 3.0 is a good GPA. It is a B average. Just do better this spring.

 

Depends where you're going to school.

 

Haas isn't the most competitive of b-schools... gpa isn't a big deal anyhow... also... it depends on gmat, essays, work experience/leadership and of course 3.0 at harvard is different than a 3.0 at chico state.

 

I've taken a couple of courses where the professor has screwed me over for petty things. There is no sense in gettin frustrated, just keep doing what your doing and apply what you have learned next semester. Sometimes when you focus your attention on how well you want or think you should do, you actually put limitations on yourself. Then when a minor detail gets out of whack you end of obsessing and frantically trying to fix it rather than just learning to embrace imperfections and moving on... Enjoy college for the experience

 

you know, that is actually some of the best advice I have heard. Thanks.

 

My first semester I had a 1.8

 

Always work/read ahead one chapter (or class), never get behind, always ask questions, and don't let your GPA go under 3.0. It's easy to let it slip, it takes forever to get it back up.
The reason you always stay one chapter/assignment ahead is because you learn so much more when you already have some sort of clue as to what the teacher is talking about, you already know the gist (basics), and you can concentrate on the details, while others are trying to digest the basics.
This is another thing I can't seem to get thru to my daughter.

 

You beat me by .8

Following semester I had a 3.5 (just for that semester).

Oh, the things I wish I could do over... back when it was $10.50/credit hour, and books cost me ALMOST $50 for the semester.

 

Can you retake the communications for a replacement grade? If so, do it over again when you have some credits to spare.

If you're in engineering 3.0 isn't too bad, but if you're in a social science, business, English, etc. you're not setting yourself up in an ideal position for a top graduate school (since you say that's your goal).

Are you just in generals or are you already taking some lower level courses in your major? I started on a BFA Painting track and my grades were ok but nothing to brag about - which is ironic because I thought it was what I was "good" at. I switched to Int'l Business and my grades shot through the roof. I found many of the subjects in the program came naturally. Just a suggestion, but it could be the courses you're taking.

 

I partied to a 2.6 my first semester. Second semester up to about a 3.0.


My last 3 years, after seeing the light I made straight A's, not a single B, and as I recall ended up with about a 3.6, IIRC.

So, it is hard to make up for poor start, although your isn't bad!

I really regret that poor start.

 

My first semester was actually in high school and i didnt really "get" the whole college thing course importance thing and that it would carry for 4 years so i got a 1.8 in the two classes that counted. my first semester at a college i partied as well to a 2.7 but after that it was 3.2 , 3.4 ...then a full time job.

I say just do what you have to do, and what matters will show. the Gen ed classes i took over the past 4 years i didnt do so great in unless it was actually one i was interested in, my business and Economic courses though I was always on point.

 

I got a 2.4 this semester. I failed math so it dragged me down. I had A's and B's in everything else. Lesson: If you don't think you'll pass a class, DROP IT

 

I got a 3.3 this semester. That was with minimal effort and lots of partying. Just dont let yourself go below a 3.0.

 

I got a 4.06 for the fall 06 semester. You can always bring your GPA back up. I started around a 3.0 and dipped higher and lower several times. Not until the beginning of my junior year did I figure out the best way for me to study and learn material. Since then, my GPA has gone up to a 3.39GPA with a professional/major GPA of a 4.10. Today is the first day of my last semester, and to graduate with honors, I need to raise my GPA by .01 up to a 3.40. I'm confident I'll be able to achieve this.

Work hard, take good notes, and sit in the front of class regardless of class size. Being in front is one of the best things for me.

 

This is a great suggestion. For some classes I knew I could get an A because I liked the material, but some like math, accounting, etc. I knew would be more difficult for me because I knew I didn't like it or it was my weak area. Sitting up front (often with no one beside me) made me focus more on the teacher's presentation and kept me from distraction.

I get distracted easily, which is why I'm here right now instead of working on my final paper.

 

I'm at a 2.75 now. All classes were great, except calculus. I'm lucky I passed, despite working my ass off. The way I see it, Wharton kicked my ass for a semester, now I kick its ass for the next 7. Every freshman could probably blame a low gpa on first-semester adjustment to college life. I wouldn't worry about a 3.0, at my school that's a very respectable gpa to hold.

 

The GPA you get is dependant upon what school you are attending. I graduated with just under a 3.0, but if you rely solely on your GPA to get ahead in life you are heading in the wrong direction. You need to be more well-rounded than that, GPA is only a handful of variables companies look at.

To give some perspective, I also graduated from high school with around a 3.0. I was admitted to the University of Illinois, Illinois Wesleyan (which I went to and is a pretty top-tier private school), and had been considered (deferred, and eventually denied) by Carnegie-Melon. My job history includes working for Microsoft, Zurich North America, and have been pursued by other Fortune 500 companies. I currently have a very nice position with one of the better companies to work for in Chicago.

My point in all of this is, while a GPA may seem important, it's not everything. You should also look at what else you're doing? Do you do sports? Own a business? Work? Help out in the community? All of this will make you a way better candidate for employment than by simply having a stellar GPA.

I wish you the best of luck and hope the rest of college goes well!

 

Except for one teeny, weeny thing: he's not at Wharton!

If he had a 3.0 at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, etc. I'd say don't worry about it.

 

Unless you are going to grad school....

your GPA will mean little or nothing in the real world.

 

He specifically said that he wants to get an MBA from Haas.

 

I've got to disagree here. If you plan to apply to a top-tier (or even top 20 biz school), they will look over your transcripts. How are you, as an applicant, going to explain a series of dropped classes in an interview? These schools aren't dumb, they'll know that you were cutting out of the challenging classes and that won't sit well with them (read: DING).

 

Agreed. If you're a business major and you drop a 300 level calculus class with a W/D they might understand. However, if you are dropping a 100 level history class you are dead in the water. Those early generals are supposed to be the underhanded softballs of academia!

 

I agree Ryan. I think you could get away with A dropped class, no matter what it is, without raising an eyebrow. Creating a trend of dropped classes is another matter entirely.