[ WP ] In an alternate reality , a student 's GPA value floats on top of their head as a large number . All your professors , fellow students , friends , and parents can see it . How does this affect on campus relationships and day to day interactions ?

Going into my senior year, I've become a bit numb to the number floating over my head. 3.479. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to be embarrassed about either. I still got an internship last summer even if I had to work harder than some of my more blessed peers. I still get some special attention. I am still of value to society. 
 
 It's like this. Freshmen are always easy to spot. Just a series of dashes. A nice clean slate after high school. For some, this is frustrating. Why do they have to go through a semester without the privileges of being a 4.000? They get treated the same as everyone else, do n't get the best spots in the classroom, the special attention from the teachers, nothing. They want to be their number, and for some, being stripped of it is traumatic. On the other hand, the 2.0ers who barely got into college love it. For once they are given a clean slate, can be friends with anyone, and are given the same opportunities as everyone. 
 
 When the next semester rolls around though, trends start to appear. Classes become segregated by GPA. 4.0's are always in the front, sucking up to the professor, taking careful notes. They all know each other and are courteous, even if they're not really friends. It's hard to be friends with your competition when there's no way to go up- only down. Sure, they might do study groups, but none of them actually trust each other. 
 
 Then you have the 3.8's to 3.9's, the dean's list students. They are generally nicer to each other and actually have some genuine friendships. They're more common to see involved in clubs and activities, working jobs and studying. They still get special attention and privileges, they still get awards and scholarships, and recruiters know that, generally, these are the students they want. Like 4.0ers, they do n't have to look for jobs, the jobs come to them. 
 
 Generally the 3.0 and higher groups look the same, with the 3.5-3.7's together, the 3.2-3.4's together, and the 3.0-3.1's together. We do n't get as much privilege. We're stuck in the middle of the room, we have to seek out recruiters. We have to work. We know that we have to maintain where we are. Going higher feels impossible, but going lower is a fate none of us want. It could be worse though. 
 
 If you're under a 3.0, professors do n't look twice at you. The ones higher than 2.5 but lower than 3.0 at first work hard, but the farther they get in their college careers, the less they care. They become resigned to their fate of being menial workers. The secretaries, the assistants- they'll never have a title of their own. The 3.0 becomes a glass ceiling to them that wo n't break. 
 
 2.0's to 2.5's group together. They're generally laid back, happy to be passing and still being given a chance to get a degree. That's all they need. They're not serious, but they're not slackers either. Their friendships are genuine, and they do n't overwork themselves. They know they'll end up in the same place as the 2.5 to 3.0's when all is said and done. 
 
 Finally there are those beneath 2.0. They never last long in university. College was n't mean for them. Some just go into the workforce, others go to technical school and apprenticeships. You see them elsewhere- as cashiers, baristas, mechanics, construction workers. 
 
 Eventually, we all leave college. The number never leaves though. Society is ranked by this number. We all exist in little glass boxes. We all associate with our own kind. It's sad really, but it's the way it's always been. Gender, race, sexuality- none of it matters in the face of a number. One mistake, one bad semester, and you lose your place in society. Suicide and a rapid fall in GPA have a direct correlation, and yet no one has tried to change it. No one wants to. The system works, society is kept in line, and everyone is where they should be. So is life.
