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> Consider a student who went to school to get a degree That's the problem right there. You don't go to school to get a degree - you go to school to get an ed

by nxc18 8y ago

> Consider a student who went to school to get a degree That's the problem right there. You don't go to school to get a degree - you go to school to get an education and build a network. Often, especially in the case of your interests not aligning with your degree program, effort put towards your degree detracts from your education. I learned a heck of a lot more from leading a software team in Student Government than I did from any of the coursework attempting to teach those skills. SG doesn't count for shit in my GPA, took 20-40 hours a week, and really whipped me into shape. I say it doesn't make sense to punish for having a high GPA, but it is a red flag in exactly the same way that a low one is - it indicates a lack of balance or a preponderance of extrinsic motivation.

twtw 8y ago
This seems strange. It's like you only want people who only sort of deviated from the requirements to graduate in some field - who don't commit to following their own path, but also don't commit to their studies. Why not just go all the way, and prefer students who took random classes for a decade to gain an education in the fields of their interest and had great experiences, yet never graduated? That seems like the continuation of the reasoning you are describing. Also, if the core problem is students setting out to get a degree, then the system is fundamentally broken - after all, the unique differentiator of universities is the ability to award degrees. FWIW, I think college is significantly overrated, but treating a high GPA as a red flag and yet seeking candidates with a degree seems contradictory to me. For some context, my own experience was that I had offers for employment before university, but I decided a diploma would be valuable, so I spent 3 years in school to finish a 4 year degree with a "high GPA." That's a red flag?
- nxc18 8y ago
  To be fair, I totally agree. And I do my best to explicitly not look for any particular degree - that doesn't mean HR isn't going to declare in all the job postings "bachelor of science in computing or related field required". I think the core of the problem is people who never learn perspective or why you would do something outside of good grades - no one grades you at work. I wouldn't say your GPA is a red flag without investigating the rest. If you have a GPA -and- other good qualities, then the GPA ceases to be a red flag.

by nxc18 8y ago

twtw 8y ago

This seems strange. It's like you only want people who only sort of deviated from the requirements to graduate in some field - who don't commit to following their own path, but also don't commit to their studies. Why not just go all the way, and prefer students who took random classes for a decade to gain an education in the fields of their interest and had great experiences, yet never graduated? That seems like the continuation of the reasoning you are describing. Also, if the core problem is students setting out to get a degree, then the system is fundamentally broken - after all, the unique differentiator of universities is the ability to award degrees. FWIW, I think college is significantly overrated, but treating a high GPA as a red flag and yet seeking candidates with a degree seems contradictory to me. For some context, my own experience was that I had offers for employment before university, but I decided a diploma would be valuable, so I spent 3 years in school to finish a 4 year degree with a "high GPA." That's a red flag?

nxc18 8y ago
To be fair, I totally agree. And I do my best to explicitly not look for any particular degree - that doesn't mean HR isn't going to declare in all the job postings "bachelor of science in computing or related field required". I think the core of the problem is people who never learn perspective or why you would do something outside of good grades - no one grades you at work. I wouldn't say your GPA is a red flag without investigating the rest. If you have a GPA -and- other good qualities, then the GPA ceases to be a red flag.