What do you do if you can't get out of the C zone and you're

no one cares about your GPA

>>8465701
They only care about internships and networking now?

>>8465854
not him, i wouldn't say GPA is insignificant but simply knowing the right people gives you a tremendous fucking advantage

I had terrible marks for the first couple years of my undergrad. I was on probation etc.

I did a 180 and had a prof who I really connected with. I did a MSc. with him but felt like my marks were a scarlet letter; I couldn't get funding or awards.

I published a paper from my Honours project and a few during my MSc. When applying for PhD funding, marks are weighted a lot less. In terms of papers, communication, etc. I was ahead of most people, so I got a prestigious scholarship during the second year of my PhD.

Awards are like magnets, they attract other awards. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Now my CV is stellar and I will be defending in January with a post doc already lined up at a solid lab. My PhD supervisor is renowned in the field and highly connected politically, sent me to lots of international and national conferences, etc. The post doc supervisor is similar but in a different aspect of my field, so it will be a good combo in terms of experience and "pedigree".

I was a stoner who would skip classes to hang out in the library or read at home and had a prof ask the class "who was that?" when I walked out of a mid-term for a class I never attended (and subsequently failed).

I found my passion and that changed my life, no exaggeration. I don't know where I would be now without this passion or that prof who inspired me. I'm proof that you can change and turn things around, but you need to find that spark in life. Most people don't find it unfortunately, so I feel lucky.

If I was an anonymous shitty student without a prof who saw my potential and excitement I would probably be screwed though.

>>8465869
Well shit.

>>8465882
I visited that prof last summer and it felt so good to walk through the faculty main hallway with my head up high and having profs asking me how I was and congratulating me on my trajectory. I used to loathe walking down there when I was doing poorly, it wasn't a good feeling to hope I didn't see a certain prof or just feel anxious, guilty, inadequate, etc. I definitely felt a bit of redeemed and absolved.

I've come to terms with my previous academic failures. I used to pretend I didn't care, but it led to some embarrassing or humiliating situations (e.g.: taking an extra year to graduate, not graduating with my friends, and worse: taking a second year course that I failed during my fifth year with the younger sibling of a friend that I was supposed to graduate with).

Now I use it as an example when I'm TAing students who are either freaking out about marks or clearly bright but going down the path I was on - partying too much, wrong priorities, and basically floundering around. I can't help people find their passion or that switch, I wish I could, but I can at least let them know there is a future for anyone who tries, puts themselves out there, and is receptive. Also, I tell them to strive for good grades because it literally translates into more income for grad school and just helps out in general. But don't lose focus and think it's all about grades.

That's why I rarely browse /sci/, the mark-obsessed young students are thoroughly depressing to me. I understand their motivation, but they seem to miss out on something very important in their academic and young lives.

>>8465915
You actually seem fairly based and know what you're talking about. God speed anon.

>>8465946
Thanks man. It's nice to get to a point in life where the future looks up and you can shed hangups from the past.

Good luck in your endeavors too.

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>>8465683
your major has fuckall to do with your post-graduation prospects if you're just failing all of your classes

>inb4 anyone starts implying anything less than an A should count as passing

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>>8465869
>The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
lmAo

you JUST SAID you were a shitter right out of the gate

>>8465915
This is probably what most profs. dream about. To be an inspiration to promising students. It's sadly often also what happens to attract people who are cheesy and shoot for fame and money but not very talented and don't have a passion for the work.

>>8466020
Then why was I even allowed to take these courses?

>>8466489
Because the university got money for having you as a student. Either from you in the form of tuition or from taxes.

>>8466020
So if you aren't a straight a student you're completely fucked?