For many students, the struggle to keep a decent grade-point average can seem daunting.
The long hours devoted to studying and working on projects to achieve a commendable grade is often exhausting, but these efforts get noticed.
During the fall semester, 802 Pitt-Johnstown students – about a quarter of the student population, achieved a place on the Dean’s List for their efforts.
A Dean’s List spot requires students to carry at least 12 credits and a grade-point average of 3.25 or higher.
According to numbers released by the Academic Affairs Office, Dean’s List numbers have been above 800 for the past four semesters, but the fall semester was exceptional in that more than 90 students scored a 4.0 grade-point average.
Sophomore engineering student Mike Cassata said he has been on the Dean’s List three out of his four semesters at Pitt-Johnstown.
He said getting good grades is important to him, and he spends considerable time studying outside of class.
“I spend probably two hours a day, or 10 hours a week, studying.”
With the midpoint of the current semester less than a week away, it is common for students to be experiencing an increased workload.
Sophomore psychology student Amber Lopez said the fall semester was the first one in which she made the Dean’s List.
She said that she also increased the time she spent studying weekly, especially for certain subjects.
“For psychology, I definitely had to put work in,” said Lopez. “The night before a test I’d usually study at least four hours.”
Academic Affairs Assistant Vice President Paul Douglas Newman said the large number of students on this list is a direct effect of the students’ exceptional efforts, and he dismissed the idea of grade inflation as nothing more than a myth.
Newman said that, although there were a sufficient number of students who made the list during the previous semester, there were many others who were not as successful.
He said that over 465 students were receiving some type of punishment or warning because of their failure to perform academically.
“It makes getting on the Dean’s List really mean something,” said Newman.
Also, Newman said the degree of academic rigor displayed by students who made the list makes him proud.