GPA: not a true measure of intelligence

In a world full of numbers and figures, we are taught from day one that higher is better. I grew four inches this summer. I read a 500 page book. I ran six miles. The higher the number, the more impressive you are.As high school students, we see numbers in everything, and consequently, as everything. Point values on assignments, overall percentages and the dreaded grade point average (GPA) all tell us our “worth”. Our GPA is what colleges use to evaluate our intelligence, the cumulative average of all our grades squished into one-, two- or three-digit number.Your GPA is based on your grades. The higher your grades, the higher your GPA and the smarter you are considered to be. But your GPA is not an accurate measure of how smart you really are. Of course, I could go into clichés of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein — who failed their way through courses — but I won’t. The systems under which they were taught and graded are very different from the way they work in our day and age.How does your GPA actually even work? Your GPA is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points earned by the total amount of credits your classes are worth, but the C someone has in math isn’t necessarily because that person is unintelligent and the “A” someone has in English doesn’t necessarily mean they’re smart.Your GPA and your intelligence may correlate somewhat, but in the overall scheme of things, they don’t have a close relationship. I have a friend who is one of the most well-read and bright people I know, but is not motivated to work and therefore isn’t doing very well in her math class. I have another friend, who I love dearly, but isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, yet he is doing well in school. If the numbers that make up a transcript  reflected aptitude, it’s likely that my friends’ GPAs would be switched.Grades measure your ability to conform to a system, not your actual intelligence. The system totally works for some people, but for others, the system can muddle everything together.My mom often says that our system is one of regurgitation, and I agree. You have to memorize information, spit it out and forget it to make room for the new stuff. We regurgitate as much as we can remember, but then when finals roll around, we’re still expected to know everything we’ve learned.Memorization is not knowledge, and lack of motivation is not stupidity. The system we are forced to conform to is what gives people the notion that the previous statement is false. Even if you memorize all of the math formulas, that doesn’t mean you know how to use them, and just because you did the assigned reading doesn’t mean you can write an A+ essay.When I was in the ninth grade, I was on Samo’s Academic Decathlon team (Acadeca). Don’t get me wrong, Acadeca is a great class, full of great people, but it wasn’t for me. Acadeca is a perfect example of the regurgitation system. For the first semester of freshmen year, I was struggling with my priorities: do my normal homework, or finish my Acadeca flashcards. I made hundreds upon hundreds of flashcards about Earth Science and Astronomy, but I wasn’t able to retain any of the information because I was too busy trying to go through the motions.My grades in my other classes dropped because I was unable to prioritize, not because I was unintelligent. I ended up dropping out of Acadeca my second semester, so that I could focus more on my other classes. Again, my overall GPA mattered more than an extracurricular class.GPA is so highly prized that there is fierce competition for those prizes that reward high GPAs — Valedictorians and Salutatorians. So, people should view it as an award for how well you worked the system and not the ultimate validation of one’s intelligence and potential.lgraham@thesamohi.com