Note to Self: Being Smart Hurts

This letter is dedicated to those young adults who are about to embark on their college journey and those, like me, who have learned a great lesson.


Courses Expire. Some you must retake if older then 3-5 years.
GPA NEVER Expires. Even if those old classes don't count.
Loans/Debt DO NOT Expire. And you have to pay (no pun intended) for more recent classes.

Dear Reader,

In my personal experience, the more I pushed myself to prove my intelligence to others the more it ended up hurting me. Anytime in my life when I have done something because of what I believed other's thought of me, I got hurt. From the bottom of my heart and the endless reaches of my soul I give you these pieces of wisdom:

1. College/GPA. You will forever be labeled by a GPA and the expectation of getting mostly A's and B's. (Even after 10 yrs your GPA doesn't expire, just like your student loans.)
   
2. College/Classes. Do the EASY classes rather than skip them. (I was exempt from taking Math due to a high passing score on my placement test. Algebra is easy for me but I never took those easy A's which could have helped me)
3. Defining an "Easy Class." You are good at a certain subject and you have an interest in it. (Ex. Even though I took AP Calc, starting in Algebra would've been smarter. No need to study. Starting in Pre-Algebra would not have been a good idea because generally it is not a pre-req for most majors.)
4. College/Passion. You need to do what you feel is right for you. If you don't have the passion for school after high school then IT'S OK. Take time off, many other countries do this. Start with one class if you are not sure, just make sure it's an easy class. (Even after 10 yrs your GPA doesn't expire, just like your student loans.)
5. After College. Turning it around from C's to A's is REALLY hard, especially once you are over 120 credits. (A full load in one semester with a 4.0 may only raise a low gpa by .10, not much if you are trying to get from a 2.65 to above a 3.0) The 28 year old you will have a difficult time repairing the damage of the 18 year old you. 

The good news, it can be done. Don't ever give up! There is a way, you just have to find it.

My BS in Chemistry Biochemistry was/is a 2.65. I may have gotten what I wanted when I was 17, which was to "OOH and AAH" people when they ask me what my degree is and where I earned it. Especially as a hispanic female, it was a triumph above so many others.

Being smart hurts, or does it? It hurts when graduate schools looked at my gpa and assumed I was too busy partying to make education matter, when in fact it was the other way around. I never developed close friendships in college, wasn't very social because I was too busy trying to keep up in Chemistry and working in the lab. It hurts when I think of how stubborn and foolish I was to continue fighting through something. But then, I did enjoy the challenge.


I was not smart when I chose my major. Proving a point to others is not smart. However, I have learned the depths of my personal drive. If the 17 year old me could begin something that the 20 yr old me finished, imagine what I can do now as a more mature, wiser, and smarter woman.


Follow your dreams and passions. Give up when you must on tasks that no longer suit you. Never give up on yourself.