As advisors, we often have students come to us wanting to take “easy” courses to help boost their GPA. Of course, a high GPA is important to maintaining good academic standing, for becoming involved in certain extracurricular activities and to finding a job upon graduation. However, the decision to take these “easy” courses is more complicated than it seems.
In the College of Business (COB), students have a long list of required courses and very few general electives. General electives are course spots that can be filled with any course the student chooses to take. Some majors in the COB have no electives, while other programs allow as many as three courses, meaning three total over the entire four years. In other words, COB students have 14-17 hours per semester of specific, required courses to take and almost no room for extras.
When making the decision whether or not to take GPA booster courses, students should consider whether or not they are willing to possibly delay graduation by a semester or take summer courses in order to get their GPA higher. Since COB degrees have at most three electives, GPA boosters are usually courses not required for graduation. Students sometimes have to decide whether a higher GPA is worth potentially paying for an extra semester of college.
Also, remember that taking “easy” courses does not guarantee a high GPA. Students still have to attend class and do the work to make good grades. Additionally, courses that are “easy” with one professor may be more difficult with another and courses that were “easy” in the past may not be “easy” now.
Ultimately, students are in charge of choosing their own courses and can take GPA boosters at any point in their college career. However, it is important for students to talk with their advisors every semester to stay informed about their GPA and degree progress, focus on making the best possible grades in their required courses, and approach GPA boosters with caution.
