GPA is one of the popular acronyms you come across in your academic life; its whole meaning is Grade Point Average. It is a numeric value used to determine the performance level of each student in high schools, universities, colleges, and other tertiary institutions. The score from academic activities is calculated to get the grades used to calculate the GPA. The GPA is a determinant of the category of GPA honor a student receives at the end of his years in an institution. There are many types of GPA scales, but the 4.0 GPA scale is generally used and is the most popular GPA in institutions. Let’s start with What Honors Is A 4.0 GPA.
The 4.0 GPA under the normal 4.0 GPA scale falls under the range of 3.9 GPA – 4.0 GPA. This category is the summa cum laude category (a Latin phrase for “highest honor”) also known as the first-class honors. The summa cum laude is the highest GPA honor attainable in an institution which implies that such a student has obtained the maximum grades in all the available courses within the course duration in his or her field of study. When placed on the 5.0 GPA scale, the 4.0 GPA scale falls under Magna cum laude (a Latin phrase for “great honor”) which is a lower honor category. Like we’ve said earlier, the 5.0 GPA scale is used by a few institutions like the 10.0 and 6.0 GPA scales. To get any 4.0 GPA scale value (say 3.85) on a 5.0, 6.0, or 10.0 GPA scale, conversion is done.
There are various other honors attainable on the 4.0 GPA scale. The list of honors and their scale categories are as follows;
•Summa cum laude ( Latin word for “with the highest honor or highest praise”); It is also known as first-class honor, ranging from 3.9 GPA to 4.0 GPA.
•Magna cum laude (Latin word for “great honor”); It is also known as second-class upper division. It ranges from 3.7 GPA to 3.8 GPA.
•Cum laude ( Latin word for “with honor” or “with praise”); It is also known as second class lower division. It ranges from 3.5 GPA – 3.6 GPA
How is the Average Grade Point Calculated?
The assignments or tasks carried out by students ( it could be a quiz, exam, project, or any exercise) are rewarded with scores. At the end of the session or semester, each course available to the student is graded. The grades are represented with alphabets A, B, C, D, and F, the highest being A and the lowest F. The higher a student performs in a course within the session or semester, the higher the grade they receive and vice versa. This grade is converted to a corresponding grade point from 0 to 4 for each of the courses then the average of the points gives the grade point average (GPA).
Letter Grade Percentage Grade Equivalent grade point
A+ 97 – 100 4.0
A 93 – 96 4.0
A- 90 – 92 3.7
B+ 87 – 89 3.3
B 83 – 86 3.0
B- 80 – 82 2.7
C+ 77 – 79 2.3
C 73 – 76 2.0
C- 70 – 72 1.7
D+ 67 – 69 1.3
D 65 – 66 1.0
E/F Below 65 0
So if in mathematics, George’s grade was B, his corresponding grade point would be 3.0. So when that is done for all the courses in that particular semester or session, the average is taken to get the grade point average (GPA) for George in that semester or session.
At the end of the course duration of a student (say four years or five years) as the case may be, the average GPA of the various sessions or semesters are taken to get the GPA which reflects the general performance of students in his course of study over the course duration. Then, based on the category of cumulative GPA, an academic honor is awarded to the student.
What other honors are attainable?
Aside from the Latin honors, institutions may give other honors to students on their graduation, convocation, or at any other time. There are many honors students can earn as a result of their performance in various aspects of education. Some of such are;
Valedictorian and Salutation:
These are the highest honors on convocation or graduation. The student with the highest GPA can be made a valedictorian and he or she gives the valedictory speech. The student with the second-highest GPA could be made a salutatorian and gets to give the salutatorian address.
Dean’s List:
This honor is given to the highest performing students in an institution. Their names are often published in the institution’s newsletters or local newspapers.
Honor Students:
This recognition is given to students who carry out special projects. It could also be given to students who go the extra mile to cover additional courses than their regular courses.
Chancellor’s Scholars:
This is often in the form of scholarships like funding tuition fees and personal upkeep. It is given to students who earn high grades in their high school or students with exceptional performance recognized by the institution.
Conclusion
To get the best of any level of education, a student has to be committed to daily educational activities. As Benjamin Franklin stated, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” investing in one’s educational career, especially at the tertiary level of education, yields tremendous interest. The honor attained is a result of the academic effort, and it ensures that one’s career is in great shape and opens great opportunities. So the higher the honor, the higher the career opportunities.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs):
What are some notable benefits of a high GPA?
These are some benefits of having a high GPA;
- It creates scholarship opportunities both for higher studies and present courses.
- It creates job opportunities in reputable industries, institutions, and other areas of life.
- It makes it easy for one to further education.
- It helps one develop a winning attitude.
