My GPA trend was somewhat V shaped.
I little info on my situation. I graduated from high school nearly 20 years ago and my performance was far less than impressive. I started at the local CC and walked out during my second semester, taking Fs in everything. Let's just say, I started at the bottom.
Going back to school my first two semesters were at the same CC (but many years later), and I got a 4.0 in each. These were the sub 1000 level courses I needed for remedial ed just to become competent enough for actual college credit courses.
I then moved to the state university and plopped right into organic chemistry, calculus, physiology, physics, blah blah blah, all with a wife and two young children. I certainly did not maintain my 4.0, but was between 3.0 and 3.5 for three or four semesters.
Then, latter part of junior year and senior year I have maintained that 4.0 again.
When writing my personal statements and such I pointed out my failed scholastic attempts from decades prior. This was a major factor in my dingy cumulative GPA. But those later semesters looked great apparently. I kept a class load over full-time while also being a TA (and the kids are still here lol). Being older, just dropping into university life was a complete shell shock. I could barely use a computer and fully expected my robust dewy decimal skills to provide all the info I needed for studying tough material. I think a dip during this time is common. It is usually the depth of awful class after awful class, where you can't see the beginning nor end.
