Anal-ity Pays Off

Okay, it hasn’t paid off yet, but it may. I was the kind of student in school that you really hated. You know you did. I was the one who made the 100 + bonus and groused at a 97. My one weakness was math. My instructors made me take all those college prep math classes, like Trig and Geometry and Algebra, which, I sucked at. Which in turn, brought down my grade point average. I graduated 4th from my class in high school, even without my Senior classes since I got basically a “pass” in English (based on a letter written by my German English teacher) and a “pass” in International Studies (small wonder) since those were the only two credits I lacked to graduate. I’ve had to review my old high school report cards and college transcript since I’ve been applying for Federal jobs. I looked at my college transcript and wondered what I could have done if I had really applied myself. Yes, I graduated magna cum laude, but, as always, if there was another rung on the ladder, then I want to be on the top of it. After working full to part-time, depending on my classes and carrying anywhere from 17-21 hours my last three semesters, I guess I couldn’t complain when I pulled through with the grades I did. After all that work though, I felt as though it didn’t really matter. No one around here really cared if you were magna or summa, just that you got a degree. It made me wonder why I busted my ass working and going to school and keeping my grades up (although they could have been better in some instances), if no one gave a shit. Finally, someone who gives a shit how many times I made the honor roll in High School. Yet, I wonder if that’s only to inflate arrogance, I mean, ummm, self-esteem and confidence in your abilities, that they actually care that you’ve exhibited a long history of sticking your nose in a book. In that regard, my anal-ity toward my grades is at least going to pay off a bit. It gets my foot in a door where other feet can’t go. But does it really mean anything? Nah, I don’t think so.