Let’s talk about wasting money. We all do it…but some do it less than others. Impulse buying gets us all in trouble. As a student, though, there is another way of wasting money that came to my attention recently.
A student enrolls in a college or university for the purpose of getting a degree. Right? And for various reasons, lack of money and motivation seem to be at the top of the list, many, too many, don’t make it to the “prize”. But what about this - a student completes the entire 120 credit hrs degree program in 5 years and still doesn’t graduate because of the GPA being barely below 2.0?
What a tragic waste of money and time! Yes, that person has certainly gained knowlege for the time spent, but to have paid close to $32,000 just in tuition, fees, and books and to not have the degree! How sad!
How do you get that GPA up after so many hours and grade points? It’s challenging but not impossible. This coming fall semester (2009) a new policy will start that allows students to replace a D or F with a retake of the course and a higher grade. (There are limits on the number of times a student can do this throughout his/her academic career.) However, for this one student who came so close, this would be a viable solution. He/she needs to replace a D with an A. It can be done through sheer will and determination.
How does one prevent getting into this situation? There are certain points in time that a student should check in with the major advisor - when 45 hrs are earned and again when 90 hrs are earned. Then one must be vigilant about not letting other stuff get in the way of studying and going to class.
Keep track of your grades as well as your money!