“Your GPA does not define you.” “You are so much more than just a number.” “People in the real world really don’t care about your GPA.”

The idea of our success and our humanity being determined by more than just a numerical figure appeals to every one of us on a personal and prideful level. I, along with seemingly the rest of my collegiate counterparts, wish this idea were a reality. I have even heard college professors minimalizing the importance of GPA, instructing that stressing over GPA will not bring about happiness and prosperity.

While I am in complete support of reducing unwarranted stress, the fact of the matter is that GPA is hugely important at this stage of our lives (that being college students). Yes, GPA is a number, but it displays work ethic, resolve, and potential to future employers and places of higher learning. Sure, they see tests scores, involvement, internships, and other factors as well, but GPA is often an essential component of potential acceptance into a graduate school or prospective career. Therefore, neglecting to focus on sustaining a high GPA could have potentially dangerous consequences for the future.

I do, however, agree with the premise that GPA does not define a person. Someone’s complex humanity cannot be confined to an empirical value. A person should be defined by their actions, relationships with others, level of happiness, and other factors that are much more complicated than anything a number can represent. The issue that lies with our relationship with GPA is the notion that some of us actually believe that our worth is completely determined by this value. GPA is not, nor was it ever, meant to create a sense of identity, inferiority, or superiority. GPA is simply just a value to determine just a level of effectiveness a student demonstrated in his/her classes.

We as a student body are getting too caught up in the thought of GPA defining us instead of seeing the necessary relevance of this value. For some reason, a deep and rigid mental roadblock has been established more most of us that we are unable to see the ultimate gravity GPA has on our academic and professional futures. Perhaps the reason for this hurdle is that Millennials frequently like to challenge the status quo with a new and innovative take on established norms. Sure, there are times where this is needed, and change is at times wonderful for the progression of our society and ideals. I, however, do not see GPA as one of those circumstances. GPA is so important in providing a student with the opportunity to leave the world of academia and enter the realm of professionalism and career opportunities. Without this empirical number, employers and graduate schools would not have an effective way to judge whether a candidate from an undergraduate program is prepared for the challenges that the next stage in life provides.

Perhaps in the future, we will have a more holistic manner in determining a student’s success in his/her classes. While I am fully in favor of reexamining the classic GPA system, I believe that it is vital for students to take this measurement seriously, as it has notable ramifications for setting a student up for the next level of life.