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Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by DocSavage on Tuesday December 11, 2007 @05:47PM (#88428)
"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.

Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by ekanes on Wednesday December 12, 2007 @01:39AM (#88613)
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?
Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by aswanson on Tuesday December 11, 2007 @09:29PM (#88521)
There may indeed be a correlation to gpa perfection and incuriosity.
Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by aston on Tuesday December 11, 2007 @11:54PM (#88581)
Because no one ever takes classes they're interested in and actually manages to do well in them...
Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by aswanson on Wednesday December 12, 2007 @06:46PM (#88917)
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.
Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by aston on Wednesday December 12, 2007 @07:05PM (#88922)
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...

Re:Why I DON'T regret getting straight A's in college by aswanson on Wednesday December 12, 2007 @09:56PM (#88984)
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.