Students share experiences on pursuit of elusive 4.0

Tech's reputation as a tough engineering school with a intense curriculum dates back even to the Sixties. Graduating from Tech, or "getting out" as it is commonly called by students, is still considered a mark of honor. A 3.0 GPA is enough to score a spot on the Dean's List. Some students, however, have managed to overcome academic challenges and shatter the mystique of the 4.0.

Dhruv Chopra is a second year Computer Science sophomore who finished his first semester with a 4.0 GPA. How did he do it?

"I study smart rather than hard," Chopra said.

"If you attend your classes and make a careful note of what the professors particularly emphasize on, you'll go a long way in making your life at school easier," Chopra said.

He claims to study ten hours a week outside classes, and advises incoming freshmen to review all their options carefully, as Tech offers a plethora of opportunities.

"At Georgia Tech, there are three things students want - good grades, fun social life, and sleep. Unfortunately, you can only have two of them," Chopra said.

Kaitlyn Frazier, a second year Biomedical Engineering student, also shares her insights. While describing how she does English papers, she says, "First I go through a stream of consciousness process where I write down everything I could possibly want to talk about, phrases I want to use...then I group the things I jotted down into some sort of order, like an outline. And then I start blending them together into paragraphs. And then proof and edit."

Frazier also offered an interesting tip about the order of completing assignments.

"One should scan through assignments to see which problems are more relevant. However, in calculus it's better to do all the sets you've been assigned," Frazier said.

"If you keep on top of all your homework and assignments, then you have very little to review by the time a test rolls in," Frazier said.

Frazier also attributes her high school background as an important factor in her college grades.

"It's definitely easier if you have the background skills. But at some point or another, every one of those kids who now make 4.0's in [high school] had to go through this process of self-discovery and discipline to figure out what works best for them. So there's absolutely no reason why someone couldn't do the same in college," Frazier said.

Further unraveling the secret behind the elusive 4.0 is Kento Masuyama, a rising second year Aerospace Engineering student.

"Well, becoming a '4.0er' was more an effort to keep some things in life constant. As last year was my first year in college, it was a period of rapid, intense changes. I suppose I wanted to hang on to something that I was accustomed to, and in this case that turned out to be performing well in class. I remember thinking, 'This isn't the same as high school,'" Masuyama said.

Many students often ponder the very point Masuyama makes-"This isn't the same as high school." The period between high school and college is a tumultuous period of transition.

"High school and college are two completely different environments. I wouldn't say that I myself was the biggest slacker, but I definitely wasn't the hardest worker in high school either. The important thing is to be able to realize that you're in college for yourself, not because you're mandated to be by law," Masuyama said.

So often students can become consumed by their grades and GPAs, numbers that become a frenzied obsession with the pursuit of perfection.

To some students grades become more important than knowledge, a point that Masuyama further comments on.

"It does feel good to be able to get a 4.0, especially at a school like Tech, but I think it's important to not make that your life. Working hard can be good, but it should be to learn, not just to get a good grade. Just make sure to get that focus straight," Masuyama said.

Contrary to popular belief, Masuyama contests that there is indeed time for a social life outside of the school work.

"Meeting new friends and partying are fun, but the reason you or your parents are paying a lot of money is ultimately for an education. Once you can realize and respect that, then you can change your study habits to meet the increasing difficulty and demands of class. Mix in a healthy dose of meeting new friends and partying so as not to overwork yourself, and I think you've got a winning formula," Masuyama said.