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Comment by mvncleaninst | Hacker News Reader

Thinking intrinsic value of achievements matters more than extrinsic

I'll give an example: in getting a degree, seeking out the hardest classes and struggling to get a 3.8, or seeking out the easiest classes and getting a 4.0

The average recruiter is stupid and will only see the 4.0. It's much harder to communicate the value of taking the harder classes

I personally find this kind of depressing. It discourages people from actual learning and nudges them towards only caring about mere appearances

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I would phrase this differently: money matters more than I thought relative to my personal sense of accomplishment. I also do believe I get more value from applying what I've learned than any temporary boost a better grade would have gotten me.

Remember no one cares about grades when you have some relevant experience. And to me, intrinsic achievement matters more to me, by definition. The only think that could go wrong is to change your mind about what matters later in life. I've lived half my life and my values haven't changed that much.

In nearly everything, you can do some "minimum amount" that only makes the appearance of getting by. This works until it doesn't (e.g. the minimum threshold is misjudged). Eventually, others see through it and opportunities come less often.

The best students do not constantly compare themselves to slackers. Instead, they compare themselves to those at the top of their game. So there is awareness their GPA could potentially end up minorly lower, but taking easy classes simply isn't an option.

I do agree with this, but I'd also add that the actual intrinsic growth itself matters a lot more than either achievement in the long term!

E.g. if you learn and retain a lot in a difficult algorithms course, that's more valuable than either the intrinsic "I passed this difficult course" or the extrinsic "I got an A+" for most cases.

Put your coursework on your résumé.

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