Since I joined NUST (and even till now as I am in my last semester), most of the people i met at nust have kept saying that they don't care about grades or good gpa. And if you maintain that you do care about grades, you might be looked down upon. Initially, my interaction with these kind of people always sent me into a dilemma. Should I spend time on coursework, or should I spend it doing something else useful? When most of your peers say they don't really care about grades, it naturally has a negative contagious effect, and as a result, spending time on coursework can feel as if you are wasting your time. this is exactly what i felt. But because I don't want you to listen to the noise when you join university and let it affect your performance, I am writing this article. I will try to categorize the different opinions/types of peers you'll find and share my opinion on who you should listen to.
And you should know these different attitudes so you can also decide what stance you are going to pick.
BEFORE I START, KEEP IN MIND THAT ALMOST EVERYONE CARES ABOUT THEIR GRADES. But there are two main categories of students in this matter: those who say they care about their grades, and those who say they don’t.
1. Those Who Say They Care About grades
Students who claim they care about their grades often fall into two distinct categories. Some are driven by a sense of ambition, while others might take their obsession with grades to unhealthy extremes.
- a. Desperate People
These are the students who can be spotted from a distance due to their intense focus on achieving perfect grades. While it’s great to aim high, these individuals go a bit overboard with their efforts. They tend to push their priorities too far and may sacrifice friendships or social interactions just to get better grades. Their grades is their life, and they devote every ounce of energy to securing the highest marks possible.
What’s interesting (and sometimes concerning) about this group is their approach when grades come out. If their performance doesn’t meet their expectations, they might show up at paper showings or meetings with professors, aggressively fighting for marks. For some reason, almost always, they would be begging for a bump in marks/grades.
DON'T BE ONE OF THEM. This is not the right mindset.
- b. Honest People
In contrast, there’s another group of students who also care about their grades but maintain a more balanced, respectful approach. These individuals are clear about their academic goals and are vocal about their desire to do well. If you are attending university, paying a certain amount of fee, and dedicating years of your life, then you should never be ashamed of being vocal about performing well in exams.
If people in this category believe they were graded unfairly or their performance doesn't reflect their true efforts, they will approach their professors in a polite and respectful manner only to (most probably) request feedback to understand how they could do better. If some of your peers say to you that they are chill about grades, and make jokes about other students going to professor and discussing their exams, just be shameless and ignore the noise. That should NEVER affect you. Your goal should be to always take feedback, and always talk and discuss everything with your professor so you don't repeat your mistakes again. I AM REITERATING, TAKING FEEDBACK IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND YOU SHOULD ALWAYS REACH OUT TO PROFESSORS AND ASK THEM WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU DO WRONG IN EXAMS, AND HOW COULD YOU IMPROVE UPON IT. And if anyone thinks that whenever there is paper showing and you/other students like you go to professors only for marks, let them think so.
2. Those Who Say They Don’t Care About grades
On the flip side, there are students who claim they don't care about their grades. While it might sound like they’re 'cool', the reality is a bit more complex. This group can also be divided into two subgroups: those who pretend not to care, and those who genuinely don’t.
- a. Pretenders
Pretenders are students who say they don’t care about their grades, but in truth, they care just as much as the students who claim they do. These individuals put on a mask of indifference, telling others they’re not worried about grades, but behind the scenes, they are working just as hard (if not harder) than anyone else. You’ll often see them stressing over bad grades (you can tell from their faces), or doing labs/assignments on time, etc.
What gives them away is their behavior at paper showings or when grades are posted. They almost always show up at paper showings, mostly reviewing their exams. They might spend hours cramming for subjects that require memorizationn, even though they maintain that they don't care about their grades. Why don’t they spend this time—which they spend on paper showings or cramming useless slides—doing what they truly care about?
- b. Genuine People
Then there are those who genuinely don’t care about their grades, and it’s not just a statement—they live by it. While most students might get caught up in chasing grades, these individuals are more interested in developing their technical skills, earning money, gaining practical experience, or pursuing personal projects that align with their long-term goals. They may even choose to study things outside of the typical curriculum that better suit their interests, like learning new programming languages, working on side projects, or building a portfolio that will help them in their future careers.
Unlike the pretenders, these students don’t spend excessive time stressing over their grades or cramming for exams. They prioritize learning and personal growth over numbers on a paper.
BUT the DOWNSIDE is that most of the time, if not always, they would have a poor gpa. One of the easiest ways of going to the West (Canada, USA, Europe, etc.) for exposure is to get admitted to some graduate program. And these people would most probably miss out on this opportunity (unless they are super rich and paying for their tuition without availing a scholarship).
so who should you be? here's my advice: