Grades! i'm in grade nine and want a bright future. how good must my grades be?

Question

what kind of grades are expected now (in grade nine) in order to get a sought-after job such as counselling, dentistry, medicine, accountant, or design? as in straight A's otherwise no chance of entering the "big-jobs"?

Answer 1

It's good that you're thinking ahead, but don't worry too much. Plenty of people go into the fields you mentioned without having a 4.0 or a perfect ACT/SAT score. Right now, you need to be most concerned about doing well so that you get into college, where you then pursue the program that interests you. Thus, these are going to be "how to get into college" tips.

First: take honors, advanced placement, and community college classes while in high school. Most colleges care just as much about the quality of your classes as they do about your GPA, so not taking slacker classes helps. Take as many English, social studies, science, math, and foreign language classes as possible. I also recommend taking some other class, such as speech or music, just to help demonstrate that you are well rounded. Plus, you don't want to get overly stressed.

Second: study and do your homework. It sounds obvious, but you wouldn't believe how many people slack off during the first few years of high school. Get tutoring if you need help, and do your homework ASAP. Time management is crucial.

Third: show that you are well rounded! Try to get some kind of internship, if possible, or see if you can volunteer at a hospital or whatever type of place you might wish to work in the future. Also, getting involved in leadership opportunities, other clubs, and volunteer work will demonstrate that there's more to you than just academics.

Honestly, none of the jobs listed (with the possible exception of medicine) are hard to get into, and there is such a wide variety of fields within the medical profession, that there are opportunities for everyone there. Just do the best you can in high school, study hard, get involved, and take some time out to have fun. No matter where you go to college, you'll be pretty well prepared for any of these careers. Also note that in order to progress further in a certain field, you may want to continue past a Bachelor's Degree, and obtain your Master's.

In general, shoot for at least a B average (higher if possible), since this will open up more opportunities for college, internships, and other special programs.

Answer 2

You do not need straight A's from now until the end of high school to be a counsellor, dentist, doctor, etc. Learning excellent study skills and really having a focus on LEARNING and not on the grades will serve you well, but that doesn't mean you'll earn only straight A's nor that you need to. There are people with B's and C's in high school who still get into college and move onto medical school when they are ready. Besides, NOBODY will go back and look at your grade 9 marks to see if you got A's and if you apply to medical school at some point (which you can only do after you've had at least some post-secondary), they won't care one bit about what grades you got in high school.

Answer 3

High GPA (grade point average) is the real Key and high scores on your SAT/ACT if you maintain a B to A average your GPA will be greater - it is the scale of the grades not the grades themselves that matter. it is important to preform well in all classes PE included to keep your GPA numbers high that is what any scholarship or college entrance will look at your over all score not the individual grades. Also a good extracurricular resume looks good too - volunteer at church, community centers, home for the aged whatever - show community involvement and if you can take a music course those are "marks" of a well rounded person who will do well in a high pressure educational environment like dental, medical or law school.Good Luck!