[zinckiwi]

American translation: graduating with anything other than a 4.0 or a 1.0 is wasted.

[Balgair]

Oh got it now, thanks!

Here in the US we have a saying of " C equals Degree", so kinda the exact opposite of the UK saying. Strange!

[JamisonM]

I have always known it as "C's get degrees" but that's sort of a crass expression, not really the equivalent of the quote which is presented as "life advice" for the enrichment of those that receive it.

"C's get degrees": The bare minimum to get the credential is the optimal use of resources.

"You want either a first or a fourth. There is no value in anything between.": Either excel at school to maximize your achievement or don't worry about your grades and simply pursue whatever comes your way from the opportunity to be there to enrich your life.

[a_e_k]

Amusingly along those lines, I once had a prof in my Ph.D. program tell me that if I was getting all A's in my coursework, I was doing it wrong. (I.e., not spending enough time on research.)

[UncleEntity]

Talk about grade inflation…

Back in my day it was “Ds get degrees”.

[OJFord]

Or rather between them, yes. (Or a bit lower than 4.0, that's perfect right? Or do you not have to get full marks on every exam to achieve that?)

[zamfi]

C is often the lowest passing grade — so, same saying really.

[antasvara]

4.0 would mean that you got a letter grade of "A" in every class. In the US, that usually means you got a final grade of 95% or higher in every class.