5 ms·

"I too was obsessed with getting straight A's in college (undergraduate)." Makes me wonder about the other casualty besides friends & time -- namely experiment

"I too was obsessed with getting straight A's in college (undergraduate)." Makes me wonder about the other casualty besides friends & time -- namely experimentation at the time you should be exploring fields of interest. The drive to get straight A's could prevent students from taking "risky" courses, ones that could ruin that perfect GPA. Pre-meds/law that take Physics for Poets instead of Physics for aspiring Physicists. Going for the grades might lead you to avoid interesting courses that are far from your perceived strengths, or jumping into a cool grad-level course where you don't quite meet the prerequisites.

aswanson 19y ago
There may indeed be a correlation to gpa perfection and incuriosity.
- aston 19y ago
  Because no one ever takes classes they're interested in and actually manages to do well in them...
  - aswanson 19y ago
    Hardly. And I'm sure you're not the type I'm referring to, one who throws an equal amount of energy into everything and therefore focuses on nothing. They are looking for the grade rather than mastery, insight, or comprehension.
    - aston 19y ago
      I actually am the type, sort of. Which is why I take exception to the generalizations you're making. I think it's entirely plausible that a person goes through college taking classes--including difficult ones--that they're interested in and getting good grades in all of them. I also think it's not impossible to have mastery or insight or comprehension (or all three) in spite of breadth of study. I base these beliefs on my own experience...
      - aswanson 19y ago
        You are not the type I am speaking of then because to you comprehension and insight are important, and good grades are an artifact of that.
ekanes 19y ago
Exactly. This person is comparing the straight-A's lifestyle to doing nothing, and ignoring the opportunity cost they paid. What else could they have learned or done during that time?

aswanson 19y ago

There may indeed be a correlation to gpa perfection and incuriosity.

aston 19y ago
Because no one ever takes classes they're interested in and actually manages to do well in them...
- aswanson 19y ago
  Hardly. And I'm sure you're not the type I'm referring to, one who throws an equal amount of energy into everything and therefore focuses on nothing. They are looking for the grade rather than mastery, insight, or comprehension.
  - aston 19y ago
    I actually am the type, sort of. Which is why I take exception to the generalizations you're making. I think it's entirely plausible that a person goes through college taking classes--including difficult ones--that they're interested in and getting good grades in all of them. I also think it's not impossible to have mastery or insight or comprehension (or all three) in spite of breadth of study. I base these beliefs on my own experience...
    - aswanson 19y ago
      You are not the type I am speaking of then because to you comprehension and insight are important, and good grades are an artifact of that.

ekanes 19y ago

Exactly. This person is comparing the straight-A's lifestyle to doing nothing, and ignoring the opportunity cost they paid. What else could they have learned or done during that time?