Perfect Record

Here are some comments about students who were expected to graduate from Michigan State University with a 4.0 Grade Point Average in the Spring of 2010:

Not all of the 23 were straight-A students in high school. But most realized upon beginning their time at MSU that the difference between high school and MSU was the responsibility to not only absorb information in lectures, but to teach oneself outside the classroom and to do so with determination.

"I didn't know how to study in high school. I don't think I had those high expectations of myself," special education senior Laura Freitag, a 4.0 student, said.

"I was reliant on other people ... whereas in college you're responsible pretty much for your own learning."

For some, it was a matter of prioritizing and keeping emotions in check.

"My school work has always been my first priority," said Kendell Pawelec, a materials science and engineering senior, in an e-mail.

"It's really about attitude. Being optimistic and excited about what you are learning makes studying ... less of a chore - it becomes more of a hobby."

These comments appear in the following front page article in The State News, Michigan State University's Independent Voice, on Friday, April 30, 2010:

Perfect Record