<p>Had a pretty good social life in high school with 13 APs in high school. Managed to get into Duke, Dartmouth, and Georgetown. I can't really say that I had that much work in high school though, at least nothing compared to college.</p>
<p>I hang around with my friends for about 5 hours a day, most of us just use each other as an excuse to procrastinate. I do reasonably well in school, but I could write a book on the bizarre experiences my friends and I have had and that makes high school all worth it. I wouldn't trade it in for anything, and hanging out wasn't always unproductive. We developed the most random hobbies together, from yodelling lessons to tai chi, and once, two of us stood behind a tree at midnight while the third played guitar in front of the window of the girl he liked. Little did we know her father was a high-ranked police officer who owned a rottweiler named Cerberus, but our parents (even hers) were laughing their arses off when they found out.</p>
<p>Like I said, you don't have to be unproductive when you have a social life outside of academics. ;)
[quote]
I use to have a big social life. But I realized it anhilted my academics way too much, so I completely threw it away. Thanks to that my average went from a 80 something the year i had a sweet social life to a 100 avg now. I'm VERY happy with the way it is turning out.
[/quote]
And we'll see how it does turn out. It works for some, especially introverts, but don't deceive yourself into thinking it's somehow better.</p>
<p>Cheers,
Alex</p>
<p>i have a social life and it balances between schoolwork and EC's
i really dont see how u cant have both because its very possible
enjoy ur youth people. u do not want to be hardcore workaholics ur whole life rite?
ok maybe this is the wrong place to say it =.=</p>
<p>
[quote]
To me a lot of it is really ridiculous..."I have a 4.569394 GPA and I got 5's on all my APs and I did 30 bazillion activities tell me if I'm going to get into HYPSKSDFJFDK!! Freakin out here!!"
[/quote]
I would like to ask you to raise that GPA example.... even I have a higher GPA than that.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I would like to ask you to raise that GPA example.... even I have a higher GPA than that.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well. I did 30 bazillion and ONE activities but you don't see me complaining.</p>
<p>Alex</p>
<p>First off, anyone who says a social life or real social ties are a waste is lying to themselves. Human beings are social animals, get over it. Whether you are a productive member of a society is another question. I personally have a huge social life, but really only care about a few close people, although I'm sure a lot of people think I'm really close to them. It's not cruel, I just find that I'd rather have a core group of friends I trust, and allow the others to think I trust them. A bit cruel, but, it works out because I can go to anyone's house or party and be welcomed in, and if they need a favor that's pretty reasonable I'll probably do it if I feel like it.</p>
<p>I agree with the OP, my friends are a bit part of my social life. Like Alexx said, I've got STORIES upon STORIES of crazy adventures and feats from my friends. Ranging from drunk stupid stories (my friend asked a woman to buy him a pack of gum, like it was illegal liquor or something, ends up at home in the morning, no cell phone, and we have to tell him his night before) to stories of us just having a good time out in the city or at the movies or even just playing uno (i highly suggest you get a group of people to play uno, sober or drunk/high/whatever your thing is its great :p) with like 15 people. </p>
<p>Health, Wealth Relationships. I'm sure for the more straitlaced and narrowminded you are familiar with this model. Even old psychologists knew that you need a balance of these things in order to be in good psychological health.</p>
<p>As of yesterday it has been taken away from me. Literally. I am not allowed to hang out with my friends anymore, and I have been forced to quit my job scooping ice cream.</p>
<p>This doesn't mean I don't have a social life, it just means it's a bit limited to going to science team meetings (an hour or two before they start, heheh) and track after school. I would die if I actually didn't have a social life.</p>
<p>Social life is overrated and goal of having a good social life leads to asocial behavior. Basically, if you care about people liking and want to have social life, you'll act awkward. If you stop caring and let it slide, it will come (although again, it's not that fun).</p>
<p>Having a social life doesn't necessarily mean just wanting people to like you. To me, it means being able to connect with other people purely for the sake of connecting with people. Connecting not necessarily because you have some crazy common goal or you're on a team for anything, but hanging out with people for something as primitive and simple as sharing a meal or learning about someone else's experiences for a second.</p>
<p>
THANK YOOOUUU.</p>
<p>
I love you. Good gracious.
Here's the other thing imo: Taking a leadership position, doing an extracurricular, volunteering a few more hours shouldn't just be for a gain, either, in terms of admissions decisions. I think the most important gains are for your own growth/introspection and, if it works out that way, for the common good. Doing an extracurricular should not be a box to check or an essay to write. Having social skills should not be accomplished, but (for lack of better word) nurtured. I know a lot people here are passionate about academics. But I know a lot of people have warped passion into obsession.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, take something out of it for the sake of your character...and really, just to be happy, truly happy.</p>
<p>"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be lighted." -- Plutarch</p>
<p>If you define social life as drinking. Then no. Um...Stop.</p>
<p>Now.</p>
<p>I was thinking that this thread was valid until I read that. I come from an extreeeeemely competitive school where NO one seems to have fun. BUT I refuse to see any of your points as valid once you connect social life with drink. so...La. La. La.</p>
<p>Yes I'm being immature. But you've stuck a chord with one of my pet peeves.</p>
<p>I didn't even know I had any pet peeves! Well at least now I have something to say when someone asks me...</p>
<p>Yeah....social life isn't limited to just drinking. If it were...well, I'd be without a life.</p>
<p>life is too short to work your butt off 24/7. when you're older, the memories of you and your friends will be much more special and meaningful than remembering that year in HS when you studied 7 hours/night. I would take chillin with my friends over asinine behavior and acceptance to Harvard in a second. And if you're really smart you can do EC's with friends so that it seems more like play instead of work. we're only young once, right?</p>
<p>yes, we are young only once. your youth is when you are most productive and that's when you'll make any original contributions. For example, look at galois, he revolutionized algebra by the time he was barely 20. once doesn't have to spend 5+ hours a day with friends to have a "social life". It seems that the people who are looking down on these kids with so many ec's are just looking for a way to justify themselves for not having these ec's. Fun and happiness are relative. For some people, socializing only at school is enough. Socializing any more would drive them crazy. Some people feel the same way about school work.</p>
<p>I have no social life outside of school (besides chatting and forums, lol), and I have mediocre stats at best, including no leadership positions, very few EC's, and my GPA is only slightly above 4.0.</p>
<p>So what? I don't care. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
No. /<em>comment</em>/
[/quote]
whoops. guess the trick doesn't work anymore.</p>
<p>galois also died when he was 30. so, unless you plan on dying young, i don't think that applies...</p>
<p>^ that statement makes no logical sense. People back then who had big social lives also often died at the age of 30, so, if using your screwed up logic, that would mean dont plan on having a social life unless you want to die young? That proves how your statement is invalid.</p>
<p>On my own note, however, I believe a social life is very valuable and a vital part of any upbringing - but in moderation. I obviously see my path in life as being superior to those morons who have the ability to suceed, but instead spend every hour of every waking day hanging out w/ friends and thus letting their GPA's fall into the sub-2.0 range, and thus obviously screwing up their lives. </p>
<p>Social life is vital, but when it threatens the very existence of a decent future for yourself, it must be moderated. </p>
<p>After all, what fool would trade the possibility of a glorious 80 years of life for the mere temporary enjoyment of 4 years (max.) of life?</p>
<p>
[quote]
After all, what fool would trade the possibility of a glorious 80 years of life for the mere temporary enjoyment of 4 years (max.) of life?
[/quote]
Well, let's see. We're roughly 18 by now... so that leaves 62 years. Plus 4 years of college, then that's 58 years. Plus another 4 if you're planning on going to grad school, and a bit more at the shaky start of your career. Then you have to break into said career, you might never get to see your family (assuming you still have the social skills to get laid) or whatever. It could turn out perfectly fine, actually - it turns out differently for everyone. The point is, some of us who slacked off in high school will end up quite successful, and some of us who worked their arses off will end up quite miserable.</p>
<p>After all, what kind of fool would predict a glorious 80 years of life after barely living 18, or think we all have the same criteria for the perfect life?</p>
<p>Cheers,
Alex</p>
<p>Sparked by,
[quote]
I obviously see my path in life as being superior to those morons who have the ability to suceed, but instead spend every hour of every waking day hanging out w/ friends and thus letting their GPA's fall into the sub-2.0 range, and thus obviously screwing up their lives.
[/quote]
grrrrrrr.</p>
<p>I think balance is key in this situation. I was president of this, captain of that, blahblahblah, but I still felt like I had plenty of a social life. It would just be limited to weekends. I still think that some EC's fulfill social needs though, such as sports since they have team unity and whatnot. Also FCA and NHS were often more social experiences for me. The only EC that I felt detracted from my social life was band, and that was because I simply hated everything about that organization.</p>
<p>All this time balancing with EC's, tough classes, sport, and social life I think pay off in the long run because college is where the real fun is to be had. That's where you need serious time management, and with the proper abilities, you can have all the fun you want.</p>
<p>As a disclaimer, the certain examples the OP were kind enough to post only represent a small minority of CC'ers. Most of us aren't that crazy.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
grrrrrrr.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>You're just bitter because you know it's true =P</p>