While there are some stupid people who get straight A's, there are probably a lot more that are really bright. From pg to Zuck to Gates to Feynman to Knuth (I actually don't know their GPAs, but their acceptances to the top schools means they probably had good grades).
I know what I might say will be unpopular, but what I've seen most of my life is subpar mediocre students will argue that grades mean nothing. They argue they could get straight A's if they cared to, but it's too boring, or whatever. And not surprisingly none of the ones that I grew up with are now what one would call a "professional success". None have started companies or done anything that would published in even a trade magazine/journal. In fact, of all the people I knew in high school who have been chronically unemployed, they all fit in this bucket.
With that said, they may have all figured out that things like jobs and startups are a fool's racket. And being able to dedicate more time to just having fun, whether it is sleeping around, XBox, being in a band, or playing basketball.
Smart people can also find grade school to not provide enough challenge and complexity and thus they tend to find other ways to occupy their time. In college the scene changes because you pursue what you want and most professors recognize true interest over mere putting in time to complete a class for credit. The moment you find a professor who recognizes your interests, keep a close relation because they can help you in more ways then you can imagine.
Sadly college still does not provide enough of the "real world" to make much a difference. The college I went to, at least, seemed to be more interested in grooming me to be a researcher which is why I found most of the CS classes to be extremely boring.
I know what I might say will be unpopular, but what I've seen most of my life is subpar mediocre students will argue that grades mean nothing. They argue they could get straight A's if they cared to, but it's too boring, or whatever. And not surprisingly none of the ones that I grew up with are now what one would call a "professional success". None have started companies or done anything that would published in even a trade magazine/journal. In fact, of all the people I knew in high school who have been chronically unemployed, they all fit in this bucket.
With that said, they may have all figured out that things like jobs and startups are a fool's racket. And being able to dedicate more time to just having fun, whether it is sleeping around, XBox, being in a band, or playing basketball.