<p>Don't get me wrong, I'm doing pretty decently myself. I'm a rising junior, going to a free boarding school this year (won't mention which, but it should be pretty easy to guess, I guess), and I've taken 2 AP classes so far. But some of the people in this forum are crazy smart. Not only that, but they seem to lead better social lives than me. I'm extremely introverted, so much that I literally have 0 volunteering or extracurricular hours. I spend most of my days playing mediocre flash games on sites like kongregate. Whenever I read this place, I feel like as if I've wasted the last 15 (soon to be 16) years of my life slothing around while these super geniuses already have their lives made. Even though my future job prospects wouldn't be bad to the average person (go to the state college, get good grades and earn a masters or a phd with a 100k something a year job), I feel like as if I would be a failure if I did any less than go to MIT and be the next big thing, or earn over 200k a year in an epic research job. The weirdest thing though, is that after every time I have these depressive bouts, I come back a few hours or days later to lurk more, writhing with jealousy at every post I read.</p>
<p>I guess I finally decided to post this because of some summer slump, but I've been feeling this attitude for a while now. Does anybody else feel this way?</p>
<p>Fake Edit: Usrs, I misspelled somatoform.</p>
<p>Real Edit: And I butchered the title. I should proofread more.</p>
<p>Yes.
But in an inspiring way. The thing is you go to school and compare yourself against people you never talk to and it’s just hopeless.
Then you go on CC and there are amazing people who are willing to give tips and offer advice. It’s inspiring. I work harder and get excited. Which is lame but true.
CC makes me think outside the box. Work harder. And actually do things.
I actually have been spending less time on tumblr and Facebook and more time planning my future which irritates my parents but makes me severely more productive</p>
<p>Dont worry, im sure many feel the same. Even though I feel bad looking at people brag about their credentials and other stuff, I still end up going back to this site. I like seeing how other students around the country feel and are concerned about different issues. There is some good stuff on these forums, once you sift through the loads of bragging posts.</p>
<p>What makes you think you’re likely to obtain a 100K salary? Anyway, as I’m certain other posters will reply, College Confidential is best used in moderation. Your feeling is one that is echoed by many. To avoid these thoughts, consider involving yourself in more long term projects-enabling you to explore your interest, to branch out, and to strengthen your application. Be creative; make good use of this summer! </p>
<p>Not really. When I read a lot of these posts, I feel enraged at the dumb questions that are asked (or tolling at times), sad for the amount of time people spend on trying to look smart, [no feeling] for the lack of a social life (OP, I don’t know what posts you’re reading), and also get embarrassed by the bad advice some people give. Even though this is supposedly the best of the best, many of them made it appear that they are, are not very social, and other stuff. However, there are many good things on here and many good people. There are academic discussions, peer to peer talk, college advice (like u said, there Is still some bad advice), and a mingling of dreamers. </p>
<p>In the end, this site is either a sad one or a happy one, it ultimately depends how you see it.</p>
<p>I feel like that all the time, but I have to realize to go at my own pace and do the best I can do. I will never have a schedule full of AP’s, I will never have a SAT score 2000 and up, never have a ACT score of 30 and up, and never score a 800 on a SAT Subject test. I try my hardest and sometimes I don’t get the results I want, but It’ll soon pay off. I’m not gifted in math, science, writing, reading, or in history. I agree with bllbb6, it is interesting to look at the many different problems and see if I can fix them. Some stuff I can relate to, and some I can’t. But I can’t let jealousy, and insecurity get to me. Don’t worry, I only have 3 extracurricular activities FFA, Veterinary internship and piano. Personally, I don’t really do a lot of volunteering through the FFA, but it’s some lol. I can wish on a wing all I want, but I know I could never get accepted into an Ivy. Sure, most of us have our lives made, paved with fine gold and clear skies, but think of it as a big maze. Someone could have a path going in a straight line, while others could be going around robin hood’s barn. But they’ll end up in a place they worked so hard for. So basically, do you. Enjoy yourself, and work at your own pace and dream big. This way of thinking keeps me going everyday, and I’m loving it so far.</p>
<p>“What makes you think you’re likely to obtain a 100K salary?”</p>
<p>Well, I see my dad and he’s a pretty happy person. I figured that even if it’s not right off the bat, it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to earn 100k from engineering. I guess another factor that influences my hatred for myself, though, is that he got to that position from being a poor kid where the highest education expected from him was elementary level, while I have all the resources in the world that I would need and I’m only doing marginally better than he was at my age.</p>
<p>This post really helped release some vent up anger though. Thanks for all the replies too. I guess CC has helped me improve some. Without CC I probably would’ve flunked my AP tests, and it has inspired me to try to self-study mathematics a little. But I still really need to work on decreasing the time that I waste on the internet.</p>
<p>“I feel like that all the time, but I have to realize to go at my own pace and do the best I can do”</p>
<p>I really need to start sticking to this attitude. Just out of curiosity though, what goals do you go for if you’ve set that stuff out of your radar? It probably would help to set more realistic goals.</p>
<p>Short answer: No, because I don’t post outside of HSL.</p>
<p>Long answer: No, because I don’t let that bother me. Before I read CC, I had a pretty good opinion of myself. Even better, I was sure of myself. I knew that I had a rough time early on in HS, but I turned things around for myself. I know that i’m smart, but not in a 2350 SAT/10 AP classes smart (plus, my school doesn’t offer that many AP classes). I already know that I do my best in my classes and I do my best in my activities, and I enjoy them greatly. CC hasn’t changed that. Sure, it sometimes made me doubt myself when I saw threads where freshman want chances for Ivies with their literally unbelievable EC’s, but it also made me chuckle a little. I think we (as in, anyone who’s not a freshman) can safely say that a lot changes from the time we step into HS to the moment we leave it. Heck, our lives can change a lot in a day. But some things stay constant, and after logging off of CC after being peeved at people who try desperately to find some justification for how hard they’ve worked, I realized that I carry mine with me all the time. I’m dumb about it, too. I have a folder under my desk where I save important school work, like my final exam from Honors (GASP, NOT AP! OH NO OH NO) Modern World history, that I got a 97 on, and the English test I got a 47 on, and on the test the week after that I got a 100. I do have awards, even though they’re not astonishing, but I worked hard to get them. And I worked really hard to get the 3.6 I got this year, even though it didn’t do much to boost my admittedly low GPA. But a bunch of people on a forum that are essentially pimping out their (occasionally falsified) achievements for everyone to see reminds me that for some reason, I don’t feel compelled to do that. And in a world where we feel obligated to overshare, I realize I don’t have to.</p>
<p>mostly talking about chance forum btw when I talk about silly kids</p>
<p>Sometimes I can’t tell whether people are trolling or not when they tell us that they saved their village from a flood with the technology they built in their backyard while working 2 part time jobs to supports their family of 10 and also independently studying for AP tests. Or when people reply on the chance me forums with things like, “A 2300 on the SATs? That’s OK, but not great, you’ll have to work harder.” To those people: screw you. But I’ve come to the realization that everyone will have different life opportunities, some are more fortunate than others, and we have to seize and make the most of every opportunity presented to us. Those who win Intel Science Search or get accepted into prestigious research programs are most likely (though not always the case) coming from a school that feeds to those types of programs or have parents that specialize in that field. There are some who are able to achieve mindblowing things having had very little opportunity, but comparing yourself to them will only make you feel discouraged. As for those breaking their necks to get into an Ivy League or something of that sort, don’t worry that much about Undergrad, it’s not a matter of where you go but what you’re able to achieve there. If you go to your local community college, then that’s awesome, you’re getting an education, and saving money that could be better spent in post-grad. My parents have a friend who went to Princeton, racked up 500,000 dollars worth of debt, and currently owns a noodle shop. Your success in life is not a direct relationship of your SAT scores or what school you get accepted into. Those who are of average intelligence and work very hard 99 times out of 100 do better than those of exemplary intelligence who don’t put in as great of an effort.</p>
<p>Meh. I don’t let it bother me much. At first, I was pretty upset, thinking, “Wow, I’m really stupid”, but then I let it turn into, “Well, if these people are going to challenge themselves, so will I.” But it’s more of my ‘own’ kind of challenging. What’s challenging for me.
I’m going to be a senior this year and I’ve only taken one AP class, but I’m taking three this year–something I never would’ve imagined doing. It probably doesn’t sound like much to a lot of people here, but it is for me. I’m proud of myself for my 3.75 GPA too.
Like someone else said, I’m likely not going to get a 2000+ on the SAT, but if I can get an 1800, I’ll be ecstatic. I currently have an almost 1700.
It’s important to remember that a lot of the people here are the smartest people in the country and even the world. If you want, type in “College Confidential” on the website Urban Dictionary… you’ll realize you’re not alone. ;)</p>
<p>I used to for the 1st few months, but I don’t anymore. It’s definitely pushed me to work harder, but I’ve accepted that I’ll push my own, personal limits, and not compare them to someone else’s, because I can’t be someone else. I’ve just learned to accept things. And TBH if I really think about it, I’m glad I haven’t sacrificed THAT much of my life and health for an Ivy. You can have balance, and get a good education at the same time.</p>
<p>I’ve learned that you have to take everything here with a grain of salt. A lot of the high school students posting here probably don’t get the attention they like in their own worlds, so they come on here to look amazing. They have amazing scores and GPA’s and activities, but you have to think, is that person serious? Is that possible? For some, yes, but for others, no. There aren’t a large amount of people who score over the 2000’s on the SATs, yet a lot of these people have. A lot of these people are smart, but they lack in other areas, be it socially or any other way. What matters is that you have to read it in the context of you. A lot of people are aiming to get into Ivy League colleges. You have to read it as “Well, good for them, but I’m going to succeed no matter where I go.” You can’t compare yourself to the people on here all the time, because everyone on here is just a person with Internet access. Sure, some have done extraordinary things or traveled to far off lands or won a lot of money or come from a lot of money, but seriously, all you can do is be yourself and be proud of the accomplishments you’ve made. Who cares if these people score a 2304938 on the SAT and a 289354289345 on the subject tests and amazing scores on the ACT. Who cares. All that matters is you, since that’s all you’ve got.</p>
<p>Kind of, with respect to schedule difficulty and some extracurricular stuff. The only thing is that, due to band classes, I’m limited to taking 4 APs a year anyway. I’m taking 3 senior year. I think that’s good enough.</p>
<p>What if College Confidential was really just a hoax, operated by top 20 university deans, to fool otherwise adequate applicants into working harder, thus creating more talented applicant pools?</p>