Are there any other Indian American students who consider themselves different from their community

Student Lounge College Life
1

To start off I am Indian American. I was born and raised in the U.S., although my parents were born and raised in India. While I am Indian, I don’t consider myself similar to other Indian students.

For one, I was a decent student in school. During my high school years, I always had all A’s and B’s in my report card, and I had an overall GPA of 3.70 in my first year, but that went to 3.58 in my sophomore year due to hard math and science classes and it stayed like that till I graduated. Math and Science, while subjects I am interested in learning about, were always tough, and combined with the fact I was born with ADHD, made it a bigger struggle. I wasn’t a failure in them, as I always managed to do well in assignments, but there were many instances of me failing exams or quizzes at the beginning of the term and struggling to raise my grade by the end.

While I always appreciated learning and getting to a better place in my life, I always felt inferior to other Indian students, as I always heard them say they had 3.9 or 4.0 GPA’s, and how they have taken all sorts of AP or advanced classes in school. Plus, my friends, who happen to be Indian American, pressured me into telling about my GPA, and when I said I had a 3.70, they automatically told me that was not good. That’s because they happen to have 4.0 or 3.90 and they have better academic qualifications. I felt upset and always wondered, am I the only Indian American that feels like they are different from their community when it comes to academics.

Fast forward, I am in college at the University of Michigan Dearborn studying Supply Chain Management, trying to raise my GPA after it tanked in the first semester of my first year, while at the same time doing internships and co-op. While I have made progress and will be graduating soon, and my GPA has continued to rise since the second semester of my 1st year, I still feel indifferent to my own community, and always believe in the model minority myth. I always question if I am the only Indian American who is an average student, as the general public believes all Indian and Asian students are academically gifted.

My question is, are there other Indian American, or Asian American students for that matter who happen to have the same struggles as me when it comes to academics and grades?

2

My belief is that you should just focus on what works best for you and stop comparing yourself to others. Your gpa is no one’s business. What someone else thinks should not effect you and if they think negatively that’s a problem in their thinking not yours. Maybe their gpa is the only thing they can flaunt about because they are not good in anything else. I would suggest finding a group of friends that are sincere to you. If they have high gpa’s so what? Everyone has different strengths and your life is your own journey. Having a successful career depends not just on academics but how well you communicate with people and your confidence level. A person can have a 4.0 gpa but very poor communication skills and that will be an issue when they start their career. Don’t define yourself by just your gpa. Think of your talents and the positive personality traits that you have. You are more than your gpa. (Your gpa is not bad at all)

In college I recommend not sticking to one crowd. Take the time to get to know people from different walks of life and you will learn from different perspectives. Get out of your comfort zone and explore new interests outside your academics in college. Just because one group of friends places emphasis on academics doesn’t mean that is the only thing important in life. It is very important to be a wellrounded individual. When you start working you will be surrounded by a diverse group of coworkers. It’s really important to get along with people of all backgrounds not just those of one culture.

3

Once you graduate and find a job, nobody will care about your GPA.
We’re not Indian, but my son has a number of Indian and other Asian friends. I’d say they all feel pressure to perform from their parents, but none of them have perfect grades. They are great in various other ways. Live your own life, try to get better in everything you do but don’t try to be like other people.

4

I am from the US but spent 13-14 years working overseas. My wife is not from the US. I retired at 40 and we moved to the US and really have not been able to connect with many people here. We have different experiences and our neighbors/acquaintances seem to be much more interested in things that we have virtually zero interest in (eg. sports, pets, etc) Looking back on it, perhaps I should have taken a job for a couple of years just to make connections?

My point is that you might always find yourself feeling different so try to understand yourself and what makes you happy. Do not compare yourself to others.