Yeah my GPA in bachelors was mid 2's and then in my masters it went up to 3.7 (ceiling is 4.0 here AKA marks above 80 for every subject) because I had a reason to try (I couldn't get a job with my 2.5's). Motivation and effort are the primary reasons that some people score higher than others, it's not that much to do with being "average" that's more of a put-down and excuse for not pushing yourself more and believing in yourself.