<p>I'm so sad and frustrated. I was so used to having the highest grade in my whole school in middle school. Getting the most awards. I was the teacher's pet and known as a smart and hardworking student. It was true that I worked hard for all of those accomplishments. Now that I'm in high school, with more intelligent students from other schools, I'm constantly being overshadowed. I hate it. Please don't judge me, but I have this mind-set that if a person is doing something might as well be the best, right? I know this is really wrong of me to think that way and that people should be proud as long as they tried their best, but I think that nothing is worth doing unless you're the ultimate best. I really hate this trait of mine and also my competitiveness and perfectionism T_T
I'm losing all of my confidence and my dedication to my academics....</p>
<p>How can I handle this better? Please help me.</p>
<p>In middle school, you get used to it, but in high school it’s a different game. This is going to be harsh but just realize that’s life, quite frankly. No matter where you go (really, anywhere-office job, peace corps, volunteering, college, gap year) there is going to be some guy who either you are convinced is better than you or rubs it in your face he’s better than you and is just being arrogant. I think your situation is a mix of both. Realize it isnt a race. You dont need the higher gpa, higher sat, longer list of ec’s, or the more acceptance letters. You will succeed in life without “winning”. When you’re 35, are you going to remember how Scott dorkus had a 200 higher sat? Of course not. I was in for a shock too in high school, im a junior now and I’m just about over all the drama. If it gets that bad, then perhaps take easier classes (you can work up to harder ones later) or make friends who don’t spend all their time looking at us news and world report rankings. I hope my advice helped, really :)</p>
<p>Agreed above too. You do not have my sympathy either. There will always be people in life better and smarter than you. It is the natural way of things. For example, a student in texas qualified for the USAMO every year since 3rd grade. Don’t kill yourself over this.</p>
<p>Step 1: Stop being a conceited ***** and realize that this post alone signifies why you don’t deserve to be the top and how truly unintellectual in most regards you really are. </p>
<p>That’s the best part though: there will always be someone better than you. You may know that person or not, but it means that you can always improve your skills. That should motivate people like you to get better.</p>
<p>I actually find myself in a similar predicament. Although I have never considered myself to be the “best” student, I always thought I did rather well in middle school, and even up until last year. Recently, I’ve been feeling very average, as in the program I’m in, all of the students are competitive, and maintaining a straight A’s is nothing. Probably 50% of the students in the program had a 4.0 the past quarter. Although my cumulative GPA is a 4.0, I feel far from being one of the smartest students. It’s just that in every class, there’s a student that’s really well-read on that subject and I feel like I could never beat them. Kind of depressing/killing my motivation. Moreover, these kids who rightfully deserve their position as the “best” in a specific subject, have been reading about the topic since their childhood and working beyond what was required from them since early middleschool. </p>
<p>Anyways, I’ve resolved to pick a couple subjects to really dedicate myself to reading the entire textbook and focus on doing as much as I can to excel in those areas. Good luck.</p>