But what if theses "occurrences" happened during one given year, i.e., someone was all about the grades their freshman year.
Ok, let's drop the ambiguity...
I took the advice of everyone from whom I had ever sought advice and focused on my grades first. I achieved a 4.00 with fairly minimal participation in clubs and organizations, and only worked as a handyman on and off.
During the summer, I worked 40-50 hours a week doing manual labor for the state (had to pay rent for the next year, but that was a really fun experience)
Soph year semester 1 I stepped up participation in clubs and organizations, attending and planning activities for the 2 or so clubs I enjoyed devoting time to. 4.00 still
Fast forward to this year...I'm even more active in all those clubs, an officer in one, and I work 16 hours a week in the hospital and about 6 a week here at the school. Probably going to make a B or two...GPA around 3.97 after the semester.
Now that all ambiguity is gone, I can ask my real question: Does my "all work, no play" attitude my first year really have the potential to affect me significantly? If an upward trend in GPA is smiled upon, shouldn't it be so for an upward trend in other categories?