For those that came very close to a first, has it ever come up again post-college?

dr gonzo

I got an overall 3.65 for my undergrad. I was disappointed by how close I was but ultimately it was far more then I was aiming to get when I entered the course so Im happy enough; I'm also now doing a postgrad so it hopefully wont be overly relevant anymore anyway. However, I was wondering if any of you who have come similarly close have ever had to deal with it again? How does it play out with employers or in interviews? Do you use the GPA instead of 2:1 etc?

As much as it didnt eat away at me too much I still think about it a little and just wanted to see what others in a similar position thought.

Cavehill Red

Surely this no longer matters since you got your doctorate, Gonzo?

Cody Pomeray

Depends on the career you've chosen. Personally speaking, it was completely irrelevant except in its substantive meaning, i.e. I understood my course material. The actual grade itself is meaningless to my work and studies.

beardedmaster

3.65.... ouch. I got 3.67 once for a semester. It was annoying, but it didn't count towards my degree, so I was lucky.

dr gonzo

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Surely this no longer matters since you got your doctorate, Gonzo?

Haha, if only!

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

Depends on the career you've chosen. Personally speaking, it was completely irrelevant except in its substantive meaning, i.e. I understood my course material. The actual grade itself is meaningless to my work and studies.

Thats essentially what I was thinking myself.

[Jackass]

From my experience, your actual GPA is only relevant if you are applying for post-grad or going immediately into a graduate job, i.e in financial services or whatever.

After that, it's just a line on your CV. Sure, it would be nicer to have a 1st beside your course, but ultimately, if you're doing post-grad, it is essentially just a minor part of the overall qualification an employer will be interested in (your masters)

Also, don't forget, that a 2:1 is the looked for grade. I'm not sure you'll ever see a job saying 1st class honors only, but you'll see some that say 2:1 or above only.

If I was you, having come so close, I would put on my CV:

BA (Hons) Your Course - Upper Second Class Honours (3.65 GPA)

What harm can it do, and if you're competing with someone with a 2:1, it at least shows you got a very high 2:1. Also when you're asked about it in interviews, joke aside about how close you were to the 1st and how it bugs you! (shows you're a perfectionist whilst also showing how good your 2:1 is )

dr gonzo

[Jackass] wrote: »

From my experience, your actual GPA is only relevant if you are applying for post-grad or going immediately into a graduate job, i.e in financial services or whatever.

After that, it's just a line on your CV. Sure, it would be nicer to have a 1st beside your course, but ultimately, if you're doing post-grad, it is essentially just a minor part of the overall qualification an employer will be interested in (your masters)

Also, don't forget, that a 2:1 is the looked for grade. I'm not sure you'll ever see a job saying 1st class honors only, but you'll see some that say 2:1 or above only.

If I was you, having come so close, I would put on my CV:

BA (Hons) Your Course - Upper Second Class Honours (3.65 GPA)

What harm can it do, and if you're competing with someone with a 2:1, it at least shows you got a very high 2:1. Also when you're asked about it in interviews, joke aside about how close you were to the 1st and how it bugs you! (shows you're a perfectionist whilst also showing how good your 2:1 is )

You know, I had never actually thought of doing this. I was of the mind that not having a first there really wasnt much point in specifying what I got on my CV, but this is actually great advice! I think I will amend my CV now to have this instead. Much appreciated [Jackass].