Rocket science is not rocket science if you’re a rocket scientist.
Remember that you are being paid to attend meetings. Do not treat meetings as a break in the day.
If you have to use someone else’s name or authority to get a point across, there is little merit to your point. You might not believe it yourself. If you believe something to be correct, focus on showing your work to prove it. Authority derives naturally from merit, not the other way around.
The only people who care about your GPA are people you have given no other basis to evaluate you.
Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, method of work, and their values.
The keeper of your career will not be your employer but your personal network - so you’d better put a lot of effort into making it as extensive and as vital as possible.