Editorial: What List?

Growing up you are told to do well in school – that is the only way that to succeed in life. So, you do well in High School, take you SAT prep courses, take the SAT’s twice just so that you can beat your last score. Finally, you select a college to attend so that you can further your education in the hopes that one day you will have a successful career and be recognized for all your hard work, self discipline and determination. But do your grades really matter?
I have questioned the importance of ‘grades’ several times, not only this semester, but throughout high school and my three years of college. I have seen people stay up until the wee hours of the morning (I’m talking 5 and 7 am) just studying for an exam – and it’s not even a final or a midterm. What is really the big deal with getting an A? The President of the United States of America wasn’t an A or B student and he still is able to run our country by just barely making C’s.
Who acknowledges these ‘good grades’ and Grade-Point-Averages anyway? I have worked hard to maintain a good GPA but all I get is a letter that states: “Congratulations, you’re on the Dean’s List for maintaining a 3.0 GPA” and that is it. Don’t get me wrong, that is a great accomplishment but our school barely recognizes it. There are ceremonies and/or dinners to honor people who play sports or those students who are a part of certain organizations on campus but what about those students who bust-their-butt to get A’s in class? Is all their studying, showing up to class everyday, and taking notes studiously even worth the effort?
The only way that people know if someone is on the Dean’s List or President’s List is if your friend happens to receive the letter and tells you about it. There is no ceremony, no plaque, no banquet to attend. It’s just “oh- yeah, so you made the Dean’s List. Good job”. I think that students who work hard should be recognized for their work. In the beginning of this semester a girl came up to me and said, “Way to go. You must study a lot to make the Presidents’ List, and for the first time I felt like – ‘Yeah, I did work hard, didn’t I”. But she knew this only because she happened to pass a framed paper that caught her eye which listed students from that major’s college, not from the entire school. I was on the list and was unaware that it even existed. This made me then question – what’s the point of having a Dean’s List or President’s list in the school if no one knows about it?
This sparked up a conversation amongst students in my class and they all agreed that there is not enough recognition. Some colleges have huge plaques placed in a location where students and faculty often go by; others place a list in their school newspapers and on rare occasions, at some universities you may even have an Awards ceremony. So, what has the University of Bridgeport done to recognize their students of excellence? And if they find a better way to acknowledge students does it really matter? ‘Cause, believe it or not, most jobs do not focus on your transcripts and how high your GPA is – just ask Bush.