<p>University of Delaware, Class of 2006
Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics
Finance Major, Economics Minor
GPA in Major Area Courses for Finance Major: 3.5
GPA in Economics Minor: 3.278
Cumulative GPA: 3.072
Deans List: Spring 2006, Spring 2005, and Spring 2003</p>
<p>After stumbling across CC and similar sites I have become increasing fearful of my future or lack thereof. Basically, I feel that because of my school and gpa I am going to be “crippled” for life. The ironic thing is I actually am very intelligent and have been able to “get by” with minimal effort but have been prevented any real success because of my preoccupation with acquiring/maintaining/improving my social life. I have also for the majority of my life been devoid of any sort of work ethic or motivation. So is my sentiment correct? Am I destined for a life of mediocrity? How hard is it going to be for me to get a quality job? On a side note, what types of positions should I aspire to get right now given my undergraduate record and minimal professional experience. Thank you. Your advice is greatly anticipated and appreciated.</p>
<p>That’s the quick answer to your question: no, you are not destined for a life of mediocrity. Plenty of people have mediocre college records (and plenty have college records much worse than yours) yet go on to great success.</p>
<p>Also, ask yourself what’s so bad about mediocrity? If the thought of it repels you so much, you must have some ideas about what would define a more successful life. Think about what you do want, and use that to find a direction in your current job search.</p>
<p>I think the main thing you should look for in your first post-college position is work that you think you will enjoy. That will help you acquire the “work ethic and motivation” of which you have been so “devoid” up to now. Good luck!</p>
<p>Bush’s college GPA was 2.7, and he’s the president. His SAT score: 1210. Pathetic, i know. Almost everyone in his cabinet is from a no-name college (he has tons of high positioned cabinet members from LSU and Texas A&M). So dont lose hope you have a higher GPA than the president, graduated from a better University than a lot of his cabinet members, and you probably had a higher SAT score than the president.</p>
<p>Um, LSU and TAMU are pretty well known… I don’t think I’d call them "no-name college"s unless you are assuming few Americans have heard of these big time NCAA football schools. My assumption, however, is both are well known–more well known than the OP’s school.</p>
<p>I assumed people on this board would infer that by “no-name,” i meant the school’s academics and not their sport programs. i mean, were not on an EPSN sportscenter discussion board. yes LSU and TAMU might have good sports programs, i dont know and i dont care. but their academics are let’s just say, less than stellar.</p>
<p>you’re right we’re not…this is a business chatboard, not a sports chatboard. LSU and TAMU dont have good academics/business programs, but they might have a good sports program (but who cares?).</p>
<p>In fairness, it should be pointed out that Yale (and most schools) didn’t start grade inflation until the Vietnam War draft, which didn’t start until Bush had already graduated. Before those days, the ‘gentlemen’s C’ really was quite common.</p>
<p>Furthermore, it should be pointed out that SAT scores were recentered in 1995, such that scores are higher today than they were in Bush’s day.</p>
<p>Finally, I should point out that while Bush did have a 77 average at Yale (which corresponds roughly to a 2.7), John Kerry had an EVEN WORSE average at Yale. He had a 76. </p>
<p>Look, the point is this. Both Bush and Kerry have freely admitted that they were lackluster college students who were clearly not interested in their courses. Al Gore too was a mediocre student at Harvard. Then again, at least all 3 of them were better scholastically than Ted Kennedy (who not only was a mediocre student, but actually got caught cheating at Harvard and had to withdraw for 2 years) or Dick Cheney (who basically flunked out of Yale).</p>
<p>The truth is, our entire political class is full of poor academic performers.</p>
<p><from wikipedia=“”>
In 1974, at age 19, Rice earned her B.A. in political science and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Denver. In 1975, she obtained her Master’s Degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame. She first worked in the State Department in 1977, during the Carter administration, as an intern in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In 1981, at the age of 26, she received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the Graduate School of International Studies at Denver. In addition to English, she speaks fluent Russian, and, with varying degrees of fluency, German, French, and Spanish.</from></p>
<p>I don’t think you’re undergrad determines a whole lot or destines you to any sort of life. This board can sometimes cement that kind of mindset, but it’s really not true, so don’t worry. How hard you work in college now and how determined you are in general hopefully matter more.</p>
<p>In fairness, I should point out that some of our politicians have glittering academic records.</p>
<p>For example, for the Dems, you have:
*Bill Clinton - Georgetown, Rhodes Scholar, Yale Law
*Hillary Clinton - Wellesley, Yale Law
*Wesley Clark - valedictorian at West Point, master’s degree at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar
*Eliot Spitzer - Princeton, Harvard Law (editor at Harvard Law Review)
*Barack Obama - Columbia, Harvard Law maga cum laude (first black President of the Harvard Law Review</p>
<p>For the Republicans:
*Bill Frist - Princeton, Harvard Medical School
*Mitt Romney - BYU, MBA + JD at Harvard
*George Pataki - Yale, Columbia Law
*Bobby Jindal - Brown, master’s degree at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar
*Ted Stevens - UCLA, Harvard Law</p>
<p>Nevertheless, our political class is full of people who were terrible students and who hence either went to mediocre schools, or got into elite schools via connections and did poorly while they were there. John McCain graduated nearly last in his class at the Naval Academy (graduated #894 out of 899). The 3 Kennedy brothers were, at best, average students at Harvard. And like I said before, Bush, Kerry, and Al Gore were poor students at either Yale or Harvard. Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson both graduated from no-name schools (Eureka College and Texas State University, San Marcos). </p>
<p>But rather than make you feel bad about our level of political discourse, these facts should make you feel good. It means that you can be a mediocre college student and still go on to smashing success.</p>